What if?
by sallythedestroyerofworlds23
Summary: Ulquiorra and Orihime meet at high school. Bad first impressions mean nothing when suddenly forced to work together for a project. Will they manage to get over their differences? And what dangerous secrets are they hiding?
1. New kid

Orihime Inoue couldn't contain her smile as she made her way to school. Most people were bummed after the summer vacation, reluctant to go back to school, but she could never see why. She was just so excited to get back, where all her friends were waiting to see her again. Well, its not like she didn't see them during the summer; Ichigo, Chad, Uryu and Rukia always invited her to hang out, and Tatsuki came over to her house whenever she wasn't busy with her karate tournaments. But still, living by herself, she could get quite lonely sometimes, like something was missing. She didn't feel like that in school though, which was why she was so excited to get back.

"Orihime!" she whirled around and saw Tatsuki waving at her.

"Hi Tatsuki!" she said, happy to see her best friend.

"Well, guess summer's really over now." Tatsuki complained, though she looked just as happy as Orihime.

Together, they made their way to their first class.

There, they found all their other friends: Ichigo, Rukia, Chad, Keigo, Uryu, and Mizuiro. They chatted for a while and relayed all their various experiences during the vacation, Orihime contributing little, but content to be with them.

"Students. I realize you're all very happy to see each other again," the teacher said as she entered the room. "but please save some of your stories for _after_ class."

Everyone reluctantly took their seats.

The teacher spoke again. "Class, we have a new student, I'd like you to welcome Mister Ulquiorra Schiffer."

Orihime had been distractedly doodling in her notebook, and hadn't seen the boy enter the classroom. Looking up now, she was struck by his… unique appearance.

He stood there with his hands in his pockets, unsmiling, as everyone in the room appraised him. The first thing she noticed were his almost eerily green eyes, they were so huge and beautiful and, _cold_. Orihime felt a shiver run down her spine, just as the boy's eyes met hers, only for a second, but she felt like she was staring into the eyes of the dead. Without interest, the boy simply looked away, then walked to the one empty chair Orihime hadn't noticed, and sat without a word.

"Creepy dude, isn't he?"Tatsuki murmured to her from the seat behind her. "Just look at his skin, it's like the guy's never seen the sun in his life!"

"Uhuh." Orihime agreed vaguely, still looking at the boy in the back of the room, who was now looking out the window instead of bothering to pay attention to the class.

Something about him just made her uneasy, which was weird because she tended to always like new people! Infact, Tatsuki constantly scolded her for being too trusting of people she didn't know, saying she was too naïve… But she could tell something was off about this guy, she just didn't know what.

The hours and classes passed and Orihime didn't notice the strange boy again. Not until lunch period, that is.

She noticed him sitting against a big tree all by himself, without any food, and suddenly, she was herself again and he just looked like a lonely person who could use a friend.

Quickly excusing herself from the circle she and her friends sat, she took about half of her food and walked over to where he- Ulquiorra- sat alone. Too immersed in Keigo's spirited recounting of some mishap with his sister, only Tatsuki looked to see where Orihime went. Ignoring her friend's gaze, she kneeled beside the boy with her friendliest smile. He looked at her with boredom written on his face, but that didn't dampen her mood.

"Hi there! I noticed you sitting here all by yourself and with no food, and I figured no one can go through lunch without food! Luckily, I always bring enough food to share with anyone in need! You should come eat with me and my friends! Uryu and Chad don't say much, but they're really nice! And Keigo's _really_ energetic. You'll get used to that-" she went on in a perky voice and didn't notice his grim expression until he said,

"I think it best for you to leave me be, woman. I do not associate with trash." He said in an emotionless voice.

Orihime's face fell. She didn't want to admit it, but it took her all her effort to stop her eyes from tearing up.

He looked away, the same bored look planted on his face, as if he hadn't even spoken to her.

The cold feeling came back to her now, and, with her head low, she made her way back to her friends.

"What's wrong, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked immediately, half concerned, half angry. "Did that guy say something to you? Just give me the word and I swear I'll kick his-"

Orihime looked at her and managed a smile. "It's okay Tatsuki, he didn't say anything." She lied, for the benefit of everyone around her, who were all giving her the same look Tatsuki had.

That was how she and Ulquiorra met. And she thought that had been the last time they would ever speak.

How wrong she was.


	2. School Project

Orihime slipped into the Phsycology class room running, about five minutes late already.

"Miss Inoue, you're not usually late, I'll let it pass just this one time. Don't let it happen again." Her teacher said.

"Yes, Sir." She replied, feeling a little guilty for being late, especially because it was just because the night before she'd stayed up late watching a scary movie marathon (even after Tatsuki had warned her not to), and wound up not being able to shut an eye all night, causing her not to hear her alarm go off in the morning, causing the current tardiness.

"As I was saying," the teacher said, Orihime went to seat at the only empty chair left, which just so happened to be next to that of a certain green-eyed guy she had been avoiding all week. "You will be conducting a little experiment with a partner, where you will spend the next two weeks with he or she. I want you to eat lunch together, talk on the phone, chat online, go over to each other's houses, you know, hang out. The tricky part is, you have to do all this with a person you hardly know, so there won't be any friends using this project as an excuse to hang out."

Everyone looked wary, and it was easy to know what they were thinking: '_Not _him/ her'_._ Whoever he or she was, nobody wanted to be paired up and be forced to spend every minute with someone they pointedly disliked.

Normally, Orihime wouldn't have stressed about it too much, people were usually very nice to her, and there was no one in this school she disliked. Up until a week ago, this would have been no sweat. Now, however, she wondered about this as she involuntarily glanced at the dark haired boy beside her. As she looked, he suddenly turned and his cold eyes met hers. With a tiny little gasp, she looked away so fast she thought her neck might have snapped.

_Did he see me looking? What did he think?_ She fought hard with the urge to look back and see if there was any emotion on his pale face.

"And remember," the teacher went on. "try to use this as an opportunity to get to know someone, you might make a new friend." He smiled. "And if _that_ doesn't motivate you, then just know that this will be worth about half your final grade."

On that note, he started reading out names in pairs, and pretty soon, groans were heard throughout the classroom. The teacher ignored them and went on reading names…

"_Inoue and Schiffer_."

Her grey eyes went wide and her hands turned into slightly trembling fists. Daring one look at Ulquiorra, Orihime saw the strangest thing fleet in his usually dead eyes, but it was so fast, she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes without interest, the only acknowledgement that he heard the teacher was a low little grunt.

_Why me?_ Orihime thought dreadfully.

The rest of the class went by in a monotone manner, and Orihime debated inwardly the whole time. When the bell rung, she finally gathered all her courage and stood in front of Ulquiorra just as he got up from his seat.

"You're in my way, _woman_." He said in an unfriendly way, but Orihime had already made up her mind and she wasn't backing down.

"Umm, sooo…" her eyes wandered around the emptying castle as she hesitated.

"Do not waste my time if you have nothing to say." He said coolly.

"No! I mean- yes! It's about the project. For class. You know, about getting to know someone-"

"Did you want to repeat today's class to me, woman?"

Orihime felt her cheeks flush, but she wouldn't give up yet. She looked away from his eyes, his disturbing eyes, which, in her mind, seemed to call her _trash_ just by looking at her. "Uh, no, I just… We're partners, you know!" she tried her best to smile, but his unchanging face made her end up laughing nervously.

"I'm aware." He said only.

It became harder and harder for Orihime to keep up the conversation. "Well… we're supposed to-"

"I believe you've already wasted enough of my time for today. If you'll excuse me." He moved around her and left, Orihime staring after him. She felt embarrassed and resentful.

_He's so… mean!_ She thought, fighting against angry tears as she went out to the hall.

"Hey Orihime!" It was Ichigo, smiling at her.

Shutting the recent conversation with Ulquiorra away she smiled at him in a friendly way. "Hi, Ichigo!"

"How come you were late today, Orihime?" a recently new student named Rukia asked. She hadn't known her long, but she was really nice and Ichigo seemed to like her so she was accepted into their group.

To answer her question, Orihime started retelling the story about not being able to sleep, including many energetic simulations about the movies, and visually displayed descriptions of all the monsters.

***

It was lunchtime, Orihime's favorite time. Smiling happily, she made her way out to eat at the usual place with her friends, but she was stopped by a hand holding her, not too gently, by the arm.

The smile dropped from her face the moment she turned to see who it was. "U-Ulquiorra?"

"You're eating lunch with me today." He stated simply, letting go of her arm and putting both hands in his pockets.

"Huh?" Orihime was genuinely confused. "But… Why?"

"Was it not you who pestered me earlier about our project? The teacher has ordered this, it is not an option."

Orihime was astounded at his forwardness about it, he might as well had said _'I really don't want to do this, trash.'_

Before she could answer anything, he turned around, and looking over his shoulder said, "Follow me, woman."

He started walking, Orihime confusedly and reluctantly following him. Neither of them spoke the whole time they walked, Orihime always a few steps behind Ulquiorra, half wanting to run back to her friends, half curious about the new possibility of getting to know a little bit more about this guy.

Eventually, they came to a stop at a spot with lots of trees, and pretty far away from the rest of the Karakura High students.

He sat down, leaning against a tree comfortably, with one knee propped up to sustain his arm. "Sit." He practically ordered, not even looking at her.

Without much else to do, Orihime sat on the grass with her legs folded underneath her. She started to take out her lunch, and just begun eating when she felt Ulquiorra's eyes set on her.

"Umm, do you want some?" she asked, noticing that once again, he seemed to have nothing to eat.

"What is that strange food you eat?" he asked, a hint of real curiosity somewhere in his voice. Orihime took this as a good sign.

"Well, today I brought some of last night's pudding spaguetti surprise," she said cheerily. "It's really yummy, if I do say so myself!" her smile was as bright as sunshine. Ulquiorra stared at her intently, that faint curiosity still somewhat visible.

"Wanna try some?" Orihime asked more shyly, afraid he'd tell her off and called her 'trash' like he did the last time she offered him food. She waved a spoon full of the brown, white and orange substance in front of him.

Ulquiorra didn't accept the food, but he didn't tell her off either. He simply leaned his head back against the tree and stared off into space. Orihime noticed his melancholic features seemed even more so as he stared off like that.

"What are you always thinking about?" she asked suddenly.

_Hey, the project is about getting to know each other isn't it?_ She reasoned.

Her question took him by surprise, he looked at her suddenly, his eyes a little wider before he recovered from being startled. His lips parted for a second, and Orihime thought he'd really tell her, but then he went back to his usual zombie look and said, "Continue eating, woman."

Slightly disappointed, Orihime turned her attention back to her food, and Ulquiorra turned his back to whatever he thought about.

_I have to take two more weeks of this? Can I handle that?_ The thought filled her with dread.

_Maybe I really _could_ get to know him… Maybe._ She thought trying to be positive. She stared at him as he stared into nothing, his face an emotionless mask.

_Yeah right._

*************

**A/N: Poor Orihime! XD It sucks getting stuck with mister hot emo, doesn't it? But who knows, a lot can happen in two weeks….hehehe… Hope you liked it!**


	3. Housecall

Uryu, Ichigo, Rukia and Chad walked together with Orihime as they left school.

"Do you _have_ to walk this way to your house, Uryu?!" Ichigo asked exasperated.

Uryu fixed his glasses as he said, "It's the closest way to it, taking a different route would be illogical."

Ichigo looked like he wanted to yell.

"You, on the other hand, could get to _your_ house easily with another way." Uryu went on.

"WHA-? I always walk home this way!" Ichigo shouted with veins popping on his forehead.

"Well, if you don't want to spend all this way with me, I suggest you switch routes!" Uryu started yelling too, proving that Ichigo was one of the few able to make him loose his cool.

"It's not like I WANT to be stuck with you for two weeks, Ishida!" Ichigo complained about his partner for the Phsycology class project.

"You're lucky to be paired up with me, Kurosaki! _I'm_ the one who has to suffer for this!"

They both went on yelling like madmen while the others stared with sweat-drops.

"So, Rukia," Orihime started. "Who did you get as a partner?"

"Some kid named Keigo." She answered vaguely, shrugging, obviously not realizing what she was in for. "You?"

"Umm," Orihime suddenly hesitated to say it, and she wondered why. "Ulquiorra."

Rukia showed no emotion, but she suddenly heard a scoff, and saw it had been Ichigo. "That kid's got some issues. Called me 'trash' the other day at Gym class."

Orihime marveled at this. It sounded just like him. So that meant he was mean to everybody.

"Maybe he wasn't too far off, Kurosaki." Uryu said, his cool voice managed to get Ichigo back on edge and in another second they were bickering loudly again.

_Those two will never last a week. _Orihime thought, gazing at the two. Then, with dread, realized she might not last a week with her 'special' partner either.

About twenty minutes and sixty insults later, Orihime separated from the group and turned to her house, waving and smiling back at her friends.

After they disappeared, Ichigo's and Uryu's shouts trailing behind them, Orihime fumbled with the flower vase in which she kept her keys.

Or at least thought she did. She dug her hand into the dirt trying to see if the key had somehow gone through, but came up with nothing.

"Maybe I changed the vase… Hmm…" she said to herself, putting a finger on her chin as she concentrated. "Let's see…" she started shaking every vase in sight, throwing all their contents to the ground, quickly covering it with dirt and half-dead plants.

Still no key.

_Squeak._

The startled her and made her turn around to see the front door of her house slightly opened.

"Well that's odd." She went inside, leaving the door open, when she saw the trail of dirt her feet were leaving behind her. "Aww." She muttered, when she heard another voice say, "You should not leave your key out where everyone can see."

She nearly jumped out of her skin and a girlish scream left her mouth as she saw Ulquiorra just beginning to stand up from where he'd been sitting on her couch. "Otherwise, anyone could enter." His cold voice and dead eyes were the same as ever, Orihime wouldn't have found anything wrong with the scene if they had not been _inside her house!_

Taking one of his hands out of his pocket, Orihime saw her key glint just before he tossed it nonchalantly at her.

Struggling to catch it, the key jumped a few times on her frantic hands, before finally hitting the floor. Defeated, Orihime bent and picked it up, examining it curiously for a second, making sure it really was her key.

Ulquiorra watched the whole time, with the slightest quirk of his eyebrow.

"Uh- What are you doing here, Ulquiorra?" she used his name for the first time, a fact which did not go by unnoticed by him.

"The project." He said in the same monotone manner as always. Orihime stared with large gray eyes, still surprised that he was here, that he had practically broken in, but still wanting to hear what he had to say. "We must discuss the arrangements for the time we must spend with one another."

The fact that he used the word 'must' was not missed by Orihime. Once again, she dreaded having been paired up with him of all people.

Giving one small, stiff nod, she signaled him to go on.

"We are to spend lunch period together, that is best for teachers to see us, so there will be evidence of our time."

Orihime regretfully nodded, not wanting to give up her favorite period for the next two weeks, but also knowing it was necessary for the grade.

"As for the afternoons, I will walk you to your house from now on." His cold voice was flat, but commanding at the same time. Orihime knew she couldn't refuse even if she'd wanted to. "Seeing us leave together should suffice the teacher to believe we are fulfilling our duty."

Trying to seem positive and encouraging, Orihime smiled and gave Ulquiorra a cheerful thumbs up. "That's a great plan!" she exclaimed in a happy childish voice. "Operation School Project will now be set in motion!!"

Orihime saw Ulquiorra show the first sign of real emotion, if only a little, since she'd met him. His eyes widened slightly and his lips parted in surprise, and maybe annoyance, at her outburst. Orihime kept her happy pose until he recovered and went back to being a pale zombie, and said, "You and I shall not interact anywhere outside of these times. Once this is over, we will return to our normal lives." His eyes and voice made the emphasis on 'not interacting' very clear. Orihime's face fell, Ulquiorra seemed pretty good at making that happen.

"Oh. Okay then." Her voice sounded faintly sad. As much as she hated to admit it, Ulquiorra's attitude always made her feel that way… She couldn't help it, maybe she was just too sensitive, but there was nothing she could do about that.

Ulquiorra started to leave when Orihime asked, "Hey, why did you come here instead of just calling?"

Ulquiorra stopped with one foot out the door and looked over his shoulder at her. Orihime wasn't sure what it was she saw in his eyes this time, but she was afraid he would really snap at her now.

She was already tensed, preparing for him to retort something, when he turned back and left without a word.

_Weird… What was that just now? It looked like he'd wanted to say something, but… what?_

She wondered about this for the rest of the afternoon, but couldn't come up with much of an answer.

***

"Hey Orihime," Tatsuki said as they walked to class together the next morning. "I could be imagining things, but… Yesterday I saw, I thought I saw that new kid, Ulquiorra, walking away from your house…"

"Oh, yeah he was there." Orihime said like it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"What?!" Tatsuki seized Orihime's shoulders and shook her. "What was he doing there? Why didn't you tell me?! Was he bothering you? Cause if he was" Tatsuki let go of her and cracked her knuckles dangerously.

Orihime immediately shook her hands and smiled nervously. "No, no! It's okay Tatsuki, he just wanted to talk to me about the project for Phsicology class! No worries!"

Tatsuki didn't look convinced. "And what? He couldn't _pick up a phone_?"

"Uh, well…" Orihime scratched the back of her head.

_I'd been wondering the same thing._

She didn't say that though, not quite sure if she was doing it to protect the guy. "Maybe he doesn't have my number." Orihime proposed. "Yeah that's it! He didn't know so he-"

"_Came over to your house?_ Come on Orihime! Phonebook? Huh? That guy is bad news, I'm telling you right now. Don't let him in your house again."

"Well, see," Orihime looked around as she said, "I didn't let him in… he was already there when I got there when I got home."

"WHAT!" Tatsuki roared.

Orihime hurriedly put a hand to her friend's mouth and snuffed the following yelling and cussing, chuckling nervously as the other students looked their way.

"_Trash._"

She looked around frantically, forgetting to cover up Tatsuki's rant in the process, not sure if she'd really heard right, if she had, she knew the voice could only belong to one person… But she couldn't see him among all the students gathered around to watch Tatsuki's performance.

"Hey Orihime! Are you even listening to me?!"

"Huh?" She looked distractedly at Tatsuki's enraged face. "Oh, sure, Tatsuki."

"Argh! Forget it. Come on, we'll be late for class." Tatsuki took her wrist and pulled her forward, shouting angrily "Show's over ya' freaks! Outta the way!" to get through the throng of curious people.

They made it to class with only seconds to spare. As Orihime slipped into her seat, she couldn't resist one quick look at the back of the classroom, and sure enough, a bored looking Ulquiorra sat at the furthest corner.

"What are you looking at?" Tatsuki asked, a little sharply, obviously still annoyed. Her eyes narrowed as she followed Orihime's gaze.

"Nothing!" Orihime exclaimed a little too quickly.

*****

**A/N: Well I'm stopping it there for now, and I just wanted to thank everyone for all the reviews!! I really appreciate it (and honestly didn't expect it) so, yay! XD hope u liked it!**


	4. Butterflies

It wasn't fair.

It _really _wasn't fair.

Out of her entire class, Orihime had to be paired up with the cold emotionless stoic new kid!

Yeah, she knew it was mean to think that way, but it was just so frustrating!

They'd had lunch today again. Orihime had finally given up all attempts at conversation with him, and she could have sworn a mosquito buzzing around would have seemed loud in that silence.

She felt awkward whenever he watched her eating, something that had never happened to her before, and felt insignificant when he seemed to find staring into space more interesting than her.

It was all around a bad experience.

And now, he was walking her to her house.

She watched with envy Ichigo, Chad, Rukia and Uryu heading away together, laughing and having a good time.

"Do you plan on staring after them all afternoon?" Ulquiorra said impatiently as he got to Orihime's side to walk her to her house.

Snapping out of her reverie, Orihime shook her head and regretfully began walking to her house, with Ulquiorra by her side.

The way to her house had always seemed fairly short from school, but now, it was painfully endless. And quiet. Most of all, quiet.

She let out a sigh. Ulquiorra momentarily turned his eyes to look at the girl. Orihime saw this but ignored him, just like he always ignored her.

She finally decided that if she couldn't get to him, then she'd at least preserve her dignity. So she just went on looking at her feet.

But she still felt his eyes on her. Those eyes… those still-looking, emotionless eyes, boring onto her.

_Left, right; left, right; left, right; left, right; left, right; left, right._ She watched the pattern repeat itself. _Left, right; left, right; left, right; left._

Was he still looking?

She dared a glance up…

And her eyes shot back down to her feet faster than she could ever yell 'Kurosaki-kun!'.

Because those big green eyes were still looking at her.

"You have been… quiet, woman." Ulquiorra said unexpectedly.

It caught her way off guard. Even if he never lost his flat careless tone, the fact that he talked to her, and called her quiet at that! It was just so… unexpected.

Orihime argued inwardly whether to reply something or not. Though she very much wanted to say something, to try and get something more out of _him_, she wanted to stick to her earlier plan. She would continue to ignore him.

_Left, right; left, right; left, right; left, right; left, right._

"What is the reason for your sudden silence?" he interrupted her once again.

She hated the way that his questions sounded like commands, she decided mentally.

For the sole reason of not answering to his commands, she managed to keep her quiet.

"I asked you a question, woman. What is your answer?" There was an ever so slight edge to his voice.

"Why should I answer you?!" Orihime was shocked at her own sharp answer. She hadn't meant to yell, or to sound so angry, as a matter of fact. But it kinda felt good, she realized. She also realized they'd stopped walking, and that they were in front of her house now.

She didn't move though, because as she snapped at Ulquiorra, her eyes had left her feet, and were now staring straight into his green orbs.

A moment passed, and something changed within her. Neither of them looked away, as green bore into gray. Her anger unwillingly melted, and her features softened, while his neutral expression remained ever-present.

Without another warning, he inched closer.

Orihime couldn't help but notice as the sun's fiery afternoon rays fell on his form, creating a sort of halo around his entire being, especially contrasting with his inky black hair.

He was close enough now that she could feel his breath gently caress her face.

Orihime gulped, and she tried to hold back all the tingly feelings that were taking place in her stomack. Butterflies, was the expression, wasn't it? But what did it mean?

And why was he so close?

And why did she feel a sudden impulse to reach out and close the remaining space between them?

"Fine then."

That was all he said, then he abruptly pulled back and closed his eyes. "Until tomorrow, then, woman."

He turned and left without another word.

Orihime gaped at his retreating figure, frozen in place, trying to catch up to what just happened.

***

Orihime laid awake on her bed that night. Green eyes stared at her whenever she closed her eyelids, so at some point in the night, she settled for just staring at the ceiling, while, unsuccessfully waiting for sleep to come.

What was that she'd felt today? When he got so close…

She'd always felt uneasy around Ulquiorra, something about him just didn't set right with her.

When they were forced to spend time together, well those feelings remained, though she tried to push them away, only to have him render all her efforts useless. To be frank, in fact, she would venture to say that he even scared her a bit… And today, when she yelled at him, she discovered that he also angered her. More than anyone she'd ever met.

But then, when he'd gotten close to her… All those feelings formed something else…

That new feeling, that still resonated in her chest even now… What was it?

She took a hand to her chest, absentmindedly clutching the place right above her heart.

"Woman."

Orihime jumped up abruptly and landed on a sitting position on her bed. "U-Ulquiorra?"

He sat comfortably on her window sill, which she had no memory of having opened.

His eyes were closed, his expression the same as always.

Orihime stared, bewildered. "How did you…?"

"That is of no consequence." He said calmly, then, with deliberate slowness, opened his hauntingly green eyes.

With the same slowness and grace, he got off the window sill, and came into Orihime's moonlighted room.

Orihime didn't move. She stayed frozen on the bed; easy prey for the graceful predator.

He put one knee on the bed and supported himself on only that and one hand, while the other settled itself on the side of her neck.

His skin was cold, almost icy, but the contact sent waves of warmth throughout her body.

Ulquiorra finished settling himself on her mattress, and, with the hand on her neck, pulled her closer.

The intimacy of the moment could have been fooled by the indifferent look of his face, except his eyes, which wouldn't leave her own. Something burned deep within them, perhaps the reflection of what Orihime was feeling inside herself.

Orihime could hear her breath coming faster now, as Ulquiorra, his hand still on her neck, closed the distance between their faces, until his lips met hers.

Everything vanished from her mind. It was as if everything around her disappeared except for his warm lips. Maybe it was because she'd closed her eyes.

His lips parted along with hers, and before she knew it, he had gone inside her.

They moved with perfect synchronization as their tongues danced to a passionate rhythm.

Ulquiorra's other hand slid to her waist, tightening his hold on her.

"Be mine, woman." He commanded.

It didn't anger her this time. But it did light a flame.

Without any room for rational thought, Orihime found herself running her fingers with a certain desperation through his dark, smooth locks, pushing him against her until they _couldn't _be any closer.

Ulquiorra pushed against her smoothly until her back was lying on her soft mattress, with him on top of her.

He pulled his lips way from hers, only to place them against her neck.

A soft moan left her lips.

It seemed to please him.

He took one hand underneath the shirt of her pj's, and he ran it along her waistline. She responded by griping him harder, then taking his face in her hands, and kissing him full on the lips, not believing how much she craved- she _needed_- the contact.

"Ulquiorra…"

_RIIIING!RIIIIIIIIING!RIIIIIIIING!_

Orihime jumped so hard and fast she literally fell off the bed in a tangle of sheets. "Gah!"

She yelled out and shut her alarm clock off.

Orihime was sweating and she felt her face getting warmer and warmer- blushing.

She nearly ran to the bathroom and splashe her face with ice cold water.  
"It was just a dream, just a dream. Nothing more; just a dream-" she repeated over and over to herself, trying to shut out all the images of last night's dream with Ulquiorra, touching her… kissing her…

"Just a dream, just a dream, JUST A DREAM!"

****

**Its just a dream people! Sorry if it was a little too graphic, I tried to hold that down, but, oh well that's it for now! Haha!**

**I'd like to take a moment to thank all those who've reviewed: wutai flea,Ashcat7,Enisy,tomia,Myahle,UlquiorraxOrihime(btw, I've read your story Roomates, and it's like, one of my faves ever!:]),000 and Faye**

**Thanks a lot!!!! This is the first time I topped 10 reviews!lol**

**Hope you all liked it!**


	5. Different

"Oh, I'm really sorry!" Orihime apologized for the fiftieth time after bumping into yet another Karakura High student.

Maybe she wouldn't have had to apologize so many times if she had just been paying attention to where she was going- but that was pretty difficult when she was focusing all her energy into blocking out all the images from the… _ahem_, dream… she'd had last night. The where she'd been in her room, and then Ulquiorra appeared, and-

_Stop thinking about it!!!!!!!! _

"Oh!" she exclaimed after slamming face-first into someone else. "I'm really so-" Orihime gulped, seeing for the first time the face of the guy she bumped into.

His familiar cold eyes looked down at her, for an instant, their green absolutely pierced her. She felt like he was able to look into her very soul at that moment.

It was because of her distraction with his eyes that she failed to notice until now his arms, which were now wrapped around her in a surprisingly firm hold, keeping her steady after loosing her balance when she crashed into him.

Now Orihime wished she hadn't noticed. Because as soon as she did, it felt as if a fire seeped through her, a fire that started at the places where Ulquiorra's arms held her, then flowed through the rest of her body, lighting up her veins, but never burning her. The heat showed up on her face, coloring her cheeks. Their bodies were touching, and for a moment, she felt as though she were melting into him. The way his eyes pierced into hers only tripled the effect.

And then, she felt his arms slithering off from around her. Without so much as a word, the stoic man turned around and began walking away.

Orihime was left standing alone in the middle of the throng of students. One hand went to her heated cheek, and she just stood there, trying to cool down the fire that still traced inside her.

Just as she started to walk again, to get to class, she caught- well, she thought she caught- a sight of Ulquiorra's eyes flashing after he turned his head ever-so-slightly shot a glance in her direction. Just as quickly, some random kid ran by, blocking out Ulquiorra for an instant, and by the time she saw him again, he was just staring ahead, walking with the same calm superiority as he always did.

For the slightest second, Orihime remembered her dream; the way the moon's pale glow reflected majestically on his dark hair and made his green eyes shine; then the feel of his lips on hers…

_No! You can't think about that! Imagine what your friends would say!_

Speaking of her friends- "Hey, Orihime!"

She turned to see Rukia jogging up to her side. The shorter girl gave her a smile. "How's it going?" Rukia asked in a friendly manner.

Orihime gratefully took the opportunity to pull herself together and smiled back. "Everything is great, Rukia! I was just on my way to class-"

Both girls turned to look to their left, where the shout "RUUUUUKIAAAAA!!!" made several heads turn.

Said girl face-palmed, just as a very smiley, very hyper Keigo screeched to a halt by the girls. "Oh my precious Rukia! Where do you keep disappearing off to! It's almost as if you were avoiding me!" the overly dramatic teenager began to shed a river of tears, "Oh no! Don't you want to spend time with me anymore?! Could you be avoiding me?!" he cried in horror.

Rukia sweat-dropped and forced a smile then waved her hands in a dismissive manner, "Of course not! Err- Keigo, I just, umm…"

Orihime watched the girl scramble for something to say, quite unsuccessfully, when they heard a very distinct shout of: "Oi! Rukia! You gonna stand there all day?" A scowling, orange-haired teen called from some distance.

"Class is about to start." a much more calm, rational Mizuiro called from beside Ichigo, only, he didn't sound like a mad-man shouting when he did.

Everyone took this as their cue to hurry down the hall, which had become much less crowded by now, and into the classroom.

They each took the remaining seats: Keigo just behind Mizuiro and next to the already sitting Chad; Rukia and Ichigo took seats next to each other- Ichigo after shooting a threatening glare to Keigo, who had originally aimed for the seat beside Rukia; and Orihime found Tatsuki saving Orihime's seat near the back of the class- a sear which just happened to have quite the view of the black-haired student who was the last person Orihime wanted to see.

A bit sullenly, Orihime sank into her seat. Without really knowing why, her gaze traveled to the quiet guy just a couple seats away from her. Instead of seeing his back as she usually would at these times, their eyes met, for just an instant, but his powerful gaze still got an unwanted effect on her.

"Orihime, are you alright?" Tatsuki asked with genuine concern, bringing Orihime back to her senses. "You seem kinda… distracted." she said.

"Oh, no, I'm fine! It's just that I had this-" Orihime caught herself just before she told Tatsuki about last night's dream, out of pure custom.

"This, what?" Tatsuki asked when Orihime zoned out. She might have been more worried had this not been more-less normal for her.

"Oh, um, this really great dream! There were all these robots everywhere, and they were chasing me, and then they had me cornered, but I kicked and punched and beat them all!" She animatedly acted it all out for her friend's benefit. "So in the end, they all had to bow down to me and call me 'Princess', and they would bring me loads of yummy onion cookies to eat all day long!"

"That's very nice, Miss Inoue. Perhaps you'd like to share all your exciting dreams with all the students at _detention_ this afternoon?" Her teacher said with a malevolent smile.

"Umm, heh heh, that's okay." she smiled nervously, virtually sinking to the floor, completely unaware of the pair of green eyes that had been watching her the entire time.

***

"Why do you say such strange things?"

Orihime would have choked if she had been swallowing at that moment- which, thankfully, she wasn't. Her hands were frozen with a spoonful of chocolate tomato soup half-way up to her open mouth.

She sat next to Ulquiorra at their usual secluded spot for lunch period, and he had just surprised her by breaking their usual silence.

"S-strange?" she repeated, a bit startled that he started a conversation- _again_- and a bit confused at the question itself.

"Did I not make myself clear? Yes- strange."

Aaand he's back. She thought, almost rolling her eyes.

Seeing as she was giving no answer, he pressed on once more. "This morning, when you described your… dream." The way he said 'dream' made it sound almost like it was a foreign word to him.

Orihime turned her eyes back to her soup, took a spoonful, and swallowed before answering vaguely with a shrug. "'Cause that's what I dreamed." Which was, of course, a lie. She would probably die if anyone, especially _him_, found out what she really dreamt the night before.

Ulquiorra still looked at her sort of like one might look at an extraterrestrial, only, add to that cold, superior and emotionless.

"You are different from the others." he stated as a simple observation.

It was Orihime's turn to look at him strangely now. She waited for him to expand on that, but he simply looked away, like he'd never said a thing.

What was he thinking now?

Orihime pondered this, but found no good answer.

***

The rest of the day went by without any major events, and the walk home with Ulquiorra was as normal- if not awkward- as ever.

Orihime went into her small house, set down her school bags and knelt by her brother Sora's picture. She immediately launched into her daily description of her day at school, her classes, and her friends' affairs."

"… and then Tatsuki broke his nose!" She was practically shouting and wailing her arms about by the end of her tale. After composing herself, she paused, then, without knowing why, she said, "Also, I bumped into Ulquiorra this morning. Ulquiorra, he's my partner for this Psycology project I have, we have to spend two weeks getting to know each other and stuff. He's really quiet, and he was real mean at first, but then, well, he sort of got nicer. I mean, he started talking to me, just today he asked-" Orihime went on and on, for the first time including Ulquiorra in her recounts to her brother. She talked about everything- from the first time she saw him, to today's walk home, omiting only the part about her…erm, dream. She found she rather liked talking about him- in a really strange way. Talking so much about him actually made her sort of curious as to what would happen next. With him. Like, would they actually get to know each other by the end of the two weeks? Would she ever see him open up?

Silly, she knew these thoughts were. But still…

Once more, the mental image of him bathed in the moonlight came to her.

_No! Out of my head! Bad Orihime!_

***

Orihime knew she was dreaming this time, she just did, but it still felt so realistic…

Her orange locks seemed to dance around her as she sank deeper into the water. She wasn't struggling, she didn't know if it was because she was weak, tired… It didn't matter. She was sinking. She couldn't breath. But it was all so strangely peaceful. Through the veil of water, she could still catch a glimpse of the silver moon above, it's rays colored her outstretched hand even down where she was.

There was no sound. Shouldn't there be a sound? She should at least hear the water rushing past, shouldn't she? But it's as if everything was still, even though she felt herself going downwards.

"_Orihime"_

The voice, even though it was muffled, reached her ears. She couldn't tell who it belonged to.

Tatsuki?

"_Orihime"_

Again. Clearer this time. It wasn't Tatsuki.

Orihime parted her lips ever so slightly, thinking of calling out to whoever was there, forgetting for that moment that she was submerged in water, until the cool liquid passed through her lips.

It made her choke. It robbed her of the little air she had left, but she still felt that odd calm. She still didn't move, or struggle, or even try to resurface.

Her vision began to blur from her lack of oxygen.

"_Orihime."_

That voice again.

Leave me alone! She wanted to tell it. Go away!

Let her be at peace, let her rest.

Her eyelids began to close over her eyes.

"_Orihime. Stay."_

Stay? Stay where? No-not where. Stay _alive,_ he meant.

But it was so peaceful down here… The water rocked her gently, as if singing her to sleep. She didn't want to fight it.

She felt someone take the hand that was still effortlessly outstretched. She couldn't see. Her eyes had closed.

She opened them to see who had taken her hand.

Green eyes and black hair, surrounded by a silver halo looked back at her.

"_Stay…"_ He whispered, and though they were underwater, she heard it clearer than anything else. "_Don't leave me yet."_

I won't!

She wanted to assure him. I won't leave you!

But her mouth wouldn't move, and more water entered her mouth. It went to her lungs, and she felt suddenly the burning pressure in her chest.

She struggled now. She kicked and thrashed around, trying to swim back up.

"_Please…"_ The voice said, but she could no longer see him, no longer feel his hand.

No! I won't leave! Come back! I won't leave you!

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU!" Orihime's outburst resounded through the night.

These dreams just got weirder and weirder.

***

**Well, not my best, but more is yet to come! Boy, Orihime sure has some issues! But Ulqui doesn't seem to be able to ignore her anymore, huh?**

**Find out how things will go on next time!**

**Oh and, sorry for the delay, my laptop was dead for a while, so I had to wait to get it fixed, then I had to get past my writer's block, so yeah…there u have it.**

**Thanks to all those who put the story in alert/favorite! And a special thanks to: UlquiorraxOrihime,xXhitsugayaXx,El Que Llora,Faye,punk_sakura,Morning Bleach and Moon Surfer for reviewing! Love ya! Hope u liked it! ^_ ^**


	6. Dinner Alone?

**Orihime was awakened by the warmth on her face.**

**The Sun's first rays.**

**She groaned, not opening her eyes. Usually she was the perfect example of a 'morning person', but today she didn't really feel like her energetic self. These dreams she'd been having, they just wouldn't let her rest in peace!**

**With one more herculean effort, she sat up in her bed and gave a long, loud yawn, stretching her arms over her head in a stretch.**

**A second later and her eyes widened as she saw the clock on her nightstand. "Agh! So late already!"**

**Orihime started flying around the room in a blur, stopping only at intervals to gather bits and pieces of the things she needed. Within seconds, she was wearing her high school button-up shirt and skirt, and was skipping on one foot trying to get the other one into a sock, with a piece of toast hanging from her mouth, when…**

"**Huhm?" the muffled sound came from her mouth- still occupied with the hanging square of toast.**

**She'd stopped in the kitchen right in front of the Kitten Calendar that hung on the wall. One word jumped out at her;**

'**SATURDAY'**

***

After changing back into her usual clothes- a purple button-up shirt and a yellow flower-print ankle-length skirt- she proceeded to go back to the kitchen.

"Well," she began thinking aloud, putting a pensive finger on her chin. "I've already finished all the homework the teacher gave us, and I did all the chores around the house… So what should I do now? Hmmm"

Orihime's gray eyes light up as they fell on the cook book Tatsuki had given her last Christmas. 'Maybe you could start to eat some norma- err, previously tried food!" she'd told her.

Beaming, she took it and opened it to somewhere in the middle- it landed on a pie recipe. One quick scan in her fridge and in her cabinets confirmed that she had all the ingredients necessary to follow the book's instructions.

About ten minutes later, Orihime stood frowning at the open book in her hands. "Blueberries? That doesn't sound very exciting for pie… Hmm, let's see…" She looked around the kitchen which was now splattered with assorted ingredients from wall to wall. "Ah! I know! A few chili peppers will give it just the excitement it needs! And maybe I could add some bean paste later on… Yes, that's it!" She had a huge proud smile as she restarted her work with renewed vigor.

Then the phone rang.

"Coming!" she yelled to the person on the other side of the phone, as if they heard her. She dropped all her cooking instruments and ran to the landline.

"Hello!" she answered it brightly.

"Hey Orihime!" It was the recently familiar voice of Rukia.

"Hi, Rukia! How are you?" she talked happily, finding that she really enjoyed the other girl's company.

"_Good! Listen I was just calling to see if you wanted to come over to my house tonight, a few of the girls are coming and I figured we could have a sleepover." _Rukia explained.

Orihime, who would have normally agreed in a beat, hesitated for a moment, letting her gaze fall on the wall calendar. She looked at tomorrow's date. "Umm, okay, Rukia! That'll be great!" she finally said.

"_Great! I'll see you later then. Bye, Orihime!"_ Rukia hung up.

Orihime held the phone close to her chest and looked at the date again.

"I'll be there on time." she promised the calendar that seemed to stare back at her.

***

"So, what should we do now?" asked one of a shy, brown-haired girl from school that sometimes had lunch with Orihime and the others.

"I know!" Exclaimed with a huge smile the unmistakable redhead with glasses. "A fun game of Seven minutes in heaven!" Chizuru glowed as she suddenly appeared next to Orihime and put her arms around her. "I'm first! And I wanna play with my sweet Hime!" she cooed, then was thrown across the room as Tatsuki's foot connected with her face.

"Like hell that'll happen, you pervert!" The tomboy yelled. All the other girls present sweatdropped.

Suddenly clapping her hands together and smiling nervously, Rukia chimed, "How about we play truth or dare?"

Ryo, the long-haired usually serious track star smiled sadistically above the open book in her hand. "Excellent! Who should I start with? Hmm… You!" she pointed at the shy brunette whose name escapes the author at this moment. She pointed at herself nervously. "M-me?"

"Truth or dare?" The intimidating smile never faltered.

"Umm, truth?" It sounded more like a question, but Ryo didn't seem to mind.

"Have you ever gone _all the way _with a guy?" she said taking great pleasure in the other girl's suddenly scarlet face.

As the poor girl began stuttering, utterly embarrassed, Orihime asked, "What does she mean, going _al the way_?"

For a second, all the girls scattered around Rukia's rather large bedroom could only stare blankly at Orihime. Chizuru was the first to recover.

"Oh, my innocent Hime!" She was once again hugging the confused orange-haired girl. "So naïve! Don't worry, I'll explain everything! Shall I begin with demonstration--OOF!"

Chizuru doubled over.

"_You're _not explaining _anything_, you damned pervert!" Tatsuki yelled angrily.

Orihime only stared wide-eyed. "So… Umm, what is it?"

Tatsuki leaned in and said something in her ear, using her hands as cups so that only Orihime heard her.

After another moment, Orihime's eyes grew impossibly large and her cheeks became pink. "Oh!" she exclaimed in both horror and surprise.

"So," Ryo turned her attention to the brown-haired girl once again, ignoring Orihime's interruption. "What's your answer?"

All the girls, including Orihime, looked at the flushing victim expectantly. Her eyes never left the floor, and she fiddled with her hands. "Well… Err… There was this one time… It-"

"OH MY GOD!" Tatsuki suddenly burst.

"Ooh, you naughty girl!" cooed Chizuru.

"It's always the quiet ones." sneered Ryo triumphantly.

All the girls laughed, except the mortified girl who still kept her eyes glued to the floor.

"Alright, alright," Tatsuki began, recovering first from the laughing fit. "On to the next victim. And since this is Rukia's party, I think she should have the honors."

Rukia seized laughing at once. "Wait! Why don't you-"

"Oh you're not getting out of _this _one!" Tatsuki cut her off. "Truth or dare."

Rukia seemed about to argue, but then sighed and said "Truth."

"Ugh. Boooring." Tatsuki lamented. "Oh well. Lets'see… Rukia Kuchiki;" She pointed directly at her for good measure. "Do you or do you not have a crush on Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Rukia, who had been taking a sip of her juice carton, spit out a mouthful of the liquid, narrowly missing Orihime across from her. "WHAT?" She gulped.

"You heard me." A smile equally sadistic to Ryo's light up Tatsuki's face. Orihime wondered if this game always had that effect on people. "Do you, Rukia, have a crush and/or like Ichigo?"

Rukia scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously. "Don't be silly! I like Ichigo as a friend!" she said.

"Oh really?" Tatsuki countered. "Well I don't believe you. I think you're lying."

Rukia's nervous smile shook as she tried to assure, "No, no, Tatsuki, I'm telling the truth, I-"

"Silence!" Tatsuki commanded, effectively causing Rukia to shut up. "Do you know what happens to people who _lie_ in Truth or dare?"

Rukia swallowed loudly. "Erm… They get a second turn?"

Tatsuki shook her head and a dark aura surrounded her. "They have to do whatever _we_ want. No questions asked. No excuses. No backing out."

"But-"

"No buts! Now, prepare for your punishment…"

Twenty minutes later, Rukia returned with a traumatized face and a pink pair of boxer-briefs that had '_**Senbonzakura'**_ printed on the back. She held them as far from herself as her short arms would permit.

"There." she said, throwing the underpants right in front of the grinning Tatsuki. "Satisfied?"

Tatsuki burst into laughter and was followed by the other girls while Rukia's face matched the shade of the underpants. "Very!" she answered between chuckles.

"Okay, next!" Chizuru exclaimed when she was done laughing at Rukia's expense. "It's my Hime's turn! And I'll have the privilege of asking her; Truth or dare?"

Her face was glowing in the anticipation of all her ideas if Orihime dared say 'Dare'.

Orihime, however, followed the other girls' examples and somewhat fearfully said, "Truth."

Chizuru's face fell instantly and she sighed, disappointed. Tatsuki smiled in approval at Orihime.

"I guess I'll have to settle for truth. Then tell me, my lovely Hime, have you had or have any cuddly feelings regarding a certain person lately?" Chizuru smiled and crossed her fingers at the end of the question, and she immediately began chanting something over and over under her breath.

Orihime, however, did not notice this, because the instant she processed the question, a distinct pair of indifferent green eyes crossed her mind.

_Huh? What does that mean?_ She wondered. Did that mean…

"So, Orihime," Rukia brought her back when Orihime didn't say anything. "Do you have a crush on anyone?"

"Come on, Orihime! Confess! Or you'll meet the same fate as Rukia did!" Ryo persuaded. "It's the strawberry, isn't it? You like Ichigo!" she accused.

Everyone looked at her, waiting for her response.

_A week ago, I would have probably answered yes…_ She thought, acknowledging to herself the crush she'd had on the orange-haired boy for some time now. But now… One other name entered her mind.

_Ulquiorra._

Wow! Did that mean she… Well, she _had_ had some strange feelings when he was involved lately, but that couldn't mean that she-

Before she could answer her own thoughts, everyone jumped as the door to Rukia's room was opened, revealing the tall, dark-haired, gray-eyed young man that Rukia called Brother.

He had a cold, neutral expression that reminded Orihime of someone else…

"Rukia," He started, Rukia immediately gave him her undivided attention.

"Yes, Brother?"

"I seem to have misplaced my favorite pair of… Of… _private…_ garments. Have you seen them?"

Rukia's face rivaled a tomato's and probably won. It was most likely her expression that alerted the man of the pink underpants still lying just beside Tatsuki. It seemed to everyone now that there were blinking arrows pointing to the abandoned underwear.

"_Scatter."_ Byakuya said in a frightening low voice that caused all the girls to scatter out of the room in a frenzy so fast that Byakuya's hair was thrown back over his shoulders in the wind caused by them.

Orihime inwardly thanked the distraction.

***

The annoyed grunts of multiple teenage girls were heard as the Sun's too-bright rays ripped them from their sleep.

"Oh, my lovely Hime! You look so cute all ruffled up in the morning!" Chizuru's squeals broke through Orihime's morning grogginess. Though even the hyper red-head seemed to find it beyond herself to pounce on Orihime so early in the morning- not out of morals or anything, just due to the fact that she was far from a morning person, she found these very hours to be a sin, and not the good kind-.

_Phew. A dreamless night._ Orihime thought as she lazily rubbed her eyes. She had been afraid that she would have another dream like the ones on the previous nights, and that she'd woken up yelling out; then all the girls would have known about these conflicting emotion that she herself didn't quite understand.

The girls began arguing over who would get the bathroom; Ryo and Tatsuki at some point wound up tangled up fighting with all their might for the bathroom, while Rukia took this chance to quietly claim it for herself.

"Huh? Were are you going, Orihime?" asked a confused Tatsuki, breaking away from her violent, now pointless, struggle with Ryo.

Orihime, who was now standing up with her overnight bag ready to go, had hoped to sneak away unnoticed. "Oh, I have a few things to do so I'm going home early, tell Rukia thanks for everything!" she said, smiling at the end. "See you tomorrow!" Orihime waved and walked out of the room.

Fortunately, she never crossed paths with Rukia's fearsome brother, so she was able to get to her house pretty soon.

It seemed that the first thing she saw when she came in was that calendar, today's date jumping out as if written in Bold.

It was today.

Orihime bowed her head. _How many years has it been now?_

***

The Sun was almost completely gone from the horizon when Orihime walked out the front step of her house.

She walked with a far-away look in her eyes that matched her scattered thoughts. She walked silently, making each turn mechanically, her body already knowing perfectly well where she was headed.

Finally, about fifteen long minutes later, Orihime found herself listening to the melancholic bells that chimed as she pushed open the door to the Sushi restaurant. Even though she only came around every so often, the place never seemed to change. Even the people, Orihime could swear that she always saw the same people in this place.

Pushing aside the wave of nostalgia, she made her way to the table that sat next to the wall, right were there hung a beautiful, albeit small, painting of blue skies with the Sun shining almost in the background. She took the seat to the left of the painting, then smiled. It wasn't the kind of smile you got when you smiled to yourself because of some happy thought, or funny memory- no. The smile was meant for someone.

In a few minutes time, she heard the waiter before she saw him.

"What will you be having today?" He said with a monotone voice, skipping right through the usual warm welcome waiters usually gave.

But that was not what caused Orihime's head to suddenly whip around and look at the man. No. It was the fact that the instant he spoke, she felt the unmistakable spark of recognition.

The black-haired young man stood in a black button-up shirt and equally dark pants, which, Orihime knew, was the uniform for the waiters at this restaurant. He had one hand hanging limply to his side, the other in his pocket, and he was staring off to the other side of the establishment.

"U- Ulquiorra?" Orihime gawked in absolute shock.

No way.

No way, no way, no way!

His large green eyes snapped to her at the sound of her voice, and they widened considerably when he saw her at last.

Yes way.

There was no doubt about it: It was definitely her stoic, silent partner, Ulquiorra.

And he was a waiter.

Orihime couldn't hold back a giggle as she processed the image before her. _Ulquiorra, a waiter?!_

He wasn't exactly a people person, Orihime could hardly even picture him with a job, much less as a waiter!

His wide eyes narrowed at the sound of her laughing. Orihime immediately quieted down.

"Do you plan on eating something or will you just sit there all night?" His words, sharp as usual, somehow seemed to be hiding a vulnerability that Orihime had never before sensed in him.

"Uh, sorry." She apologized, then went on and made her order.

Ulquiorra did not write it down or even recite it back to her as most normal waiters would, he simply made a sort of grunt that she supposed meant that he'd gotten her order, then disappeared into the back of the restaurant, to the kitchen.

_That was unexpected. Who would have thought, of all places…_

Another, unwelcome thought crossed her mind. _He looks good in black._

Orihime blushed a little and looked around her as if anyone could have read her mind.

Satisfied that no one was paying the least bit of a attention to her, she rested one elbow on the table, and placed her chin on her hand comfortably.

Her eyes were looking down, but she did not see the table. No, instead, a long-ago scene played in her head like an old recording.

Before she knew it, Orihime saw a sparkling drop of water splash on the table. She jumped back before realizing it had only been her own tear, which had slid silently down her face.

She wiped her face to erase any signs of tear tracks. She shouldn't cry on this day. He wouldn't want that…

Her stomach growled loud enough for everyone near her perimeter to hear, wakened by the smell of food.

Another second later, Ulquiorra arrived with two steaming plates of beef ramen, and set one before her, the other one on the other end of the table.

"Thank you!" Orihime said politely as she always would, forgetting for a moment who her waiter was.

She was about to begin eating, when she noticed someone still beside her.

Ulquiorra stood looking down at her and the food on the table. Orihime tried to think of a way to nicely tell him to leave; she felt uncomfortable eating under his watchful gaze--especially _today._

She was still searching for words, when she heard, "Woman, do you plan on eating all this yourself?" Translation: Are you expecting someone?

Now she was really at a loss for words.

Orihime dropped her eyes and a small, sad smile tugged at her lips.

How could she explain? How could she possibly tell him about something so secret and personal? Something even Tatsuki didn't know…

"I guess I am… I'm eating alone today." Her voice was soft, there was still that sad smile there.

Something about it seemed to have an effect on Ulquiorra. "Hmph." He muttered before walking off.

Of course.

Of course he didn't care.

Orihime had been worried about finding a way to explain… She'd been naïve to think he actually cared.

Now she looked at the empty chair across from her.

It was hard to believe that it had been empty for three years now. Three years since…

"Three years since I began to celebrate your birthday alone." She spoke teary-eyed, with a forced smile at the imaginary presence with her. "Three years, Sora…."

A soft sob escaped her. She used her hand to rub at the water in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Brother. I promised I wouldn't cry again this year," She laughed a laugh that was half crying.

One single tear ran down her cheek. She closed her eyes, trying to compose herself.

It was Sora's birthday today… Or it was, when he was alive.

Back then, when she and her Brother had lived together happily, they had an unspoken tradition; they always had dinner together in this modest little restaurant, which was Sora's favorite.

Memories flooded through Orihime. Bright, sunny memories of so many happy times here, having food with her beloved Brother.

Even after his death, Orihime continued coming here in the following years on the day of his birthday. She would celebrate and even order his favorite plate as if nothing had changed. Even if everything _had _changed.

Orihime was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of the chair across her being moved. For an insane moment, she imagined looking up and seeing her Brother's caring smile once more.

What she saw surprised her even more.

"Ulquiorra." his name left her like a low gasp, which he barely even acknowledged as he sat down non-chalantly in the chair he'd pulled back.

His green eyes, closed a moment before, now opened and looked at her intently.

"Wha- What are you… doing?" Never in a million years could she have forseen such a development.

"What does it look like?" His voice was as toneless as ever, which made Orihime even more shocked. "I am taking my break and having dinner with you." He stated with a logic that seemed to challenge her intelligence.

For the first time since meeting him, Orihime saw Ulquiorra pick up the eating utensiles, and commenced dining.

Orihime didn't touch her food, she was still frozen in place, unbelieving of what she was seeing.

"Your food will get cold." Ulquiorra said, not even looking up, yet still knowing Orihime was ignoring her plate.

A quiet understanding reached her.

Ulquiorra knew.

Of course, he didn't know exactly what was going on, but he just knew there was something…

And he knew what to do for her. Even when she herself would have never thought this was what she needed, he still knew.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra." She said with complete sincerity.

This time, Ulquiorra looked up and met her eyes.

Again, she saw his silent understanding.

Orihime then began to eat, for the first time in three years, she did not feel alone.

_Thank you._

Without either of them knowing, an unbreakable bond was born that night.

One that would change the course of their lives forever…

**A/N: I'm SO SO SO SO SORRY I took so long!!! I have no excuse!! **

**I hope u find it in your hearts to forgive me!**

**Thanks to all my reviewers as always: InnactiveAcct, UlquiorraxOrihime, Merciless Ruby, Blackheart Ace8, Himegimi-chan, Shinsei Reimei, Morning Bleach, pharitse, Roxa's favorite, and Bokmal14 **

**This story I has gone on thanks to you guys!**

**Sorry there isn't a lot of Ulquihime action in this one, but I wanted to make it realistic, so they can't really spen EVERY second together, but I tried to make up for it in the end there. I'd had that scene in my head for a while, but I'm not too sure about the results… Anyways, let me know what you think!**

**Love ya!**


	7. Orihime

Orihime put down her fork, a small smile still edging her lips. When she looked up, she wasn't surprised to find Ulquiorra was already finished and staring off into that spot that no one else could see, that he always seemed to find so interesting. It didn't matter though. Because in that moment, Orihime could only feel… well… happy. As stoic and cold as this guy was, he had just sat down with her and silently _been_ there for her; an act of kindness she could have never forseen coming from him. His usually cold aura now felt almost, for lack of a better word- warm.

Her ogling must have been quite obvious before Ulquiorra soon turned his face and looked straight at her. She made no move to look away or to hide her smile.

"What is it?" he asked, eyeing her oddly.

Orihime shrugged. "I'm not sure. You're… different tonight." she ventured saying.

He raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Was that-_genuine-_interest she saw? It wasn't obvious. She probably wouldn't have even noticed if she hadn't spent the last week with him. But she was pretty certain…

A mischievous thought came to her. Maybe she could toy with him a little bit…

"Oh, nevermind!" she waved it off in a chipper manner.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "No, tell me, Woman. What has changed?" There was a nearly imperceptible note of persuation behind the commanding voice.

Orihime did her best to maintain a straight face. "It's not important." She looked away- if she looked at him she would most certainly laugh.

He was silent for a few moments. A tiny giggle finally escaped the orange-haired girl and she instinctively tried to stifle it with a hand.

"You are… Confusing." Ulquiorra stated, making Orihime look at him in a bit of surprise.

"Umm, well… I know a lot of people keep saying that, it's just that sometimes I kinda think stuff without really thinking about it, and I always say it out loud and people start to look at me funny. And that's usually when Tatsuki says that sometimes it's better to let other people express themselves because-"

Ulquiorra watched with wide eyes as she rambled on. When she finally noticed, she trailed off and started to put the tips of her fingers together, a light flush of embarrassment coloring her face. "S-sorry, I guess I did it again." She looked only at her fingers, embarrassed to look at Ulquiorra.

"Well that's somethin' ya' don't see every day!"

Orihime's head snapped up to look at the man who spoke. He had nearly silver hair, and had a huge smile on his face that made his eyes remain tightly shut. By all means, he should have seemed friendly, but instead, his presence alone made a small shiver run down her back. For some reason, Orihime thought of foxes…

"In fact," He put his chin on his hand in a pensive manner. "I don't think I'd ever seen our Ulquiorra smilin' before!" He declared with a big smile of his own.

Orihime turned to see Ulquiorra glaring at the man.

_Smiling? _

Orihime tried to process it.

_I've barely seen him show emotion at all! Let alone _smile_… This man must be teasing, it can't be!_

But in all fairness, Orihime _hadn't _been looking at her companion when the fox guy came. Still… _There's just no way. I can hardly even picture it._

Her conviction about Ulquiorra became stronger when she looked at him now.

Sure, he was always glaring at everyone and everything. But now was different, the look he was giving the fox man… It held pure dislike, if Orihime didn't know any better, she'd say _hatred_. He'd never looked like _that_ in school.

"If you have nothing else to say, I would appreciate it if you let us be." Ulquiorra said with barely contained venom.

The man, however, seemed unfazed. He laughed lightly. "Come now, Ulquiorra, if the boss heard ya' talking like that, he wouldn't be very happy."

"_Gin_." The name sounded like a warning.

Another light laugh. "Alright, alright. I know when I'm not wanted. I'll leave ya'and your pretty lady friend to your business." He looked, well, faced, really, since his eyes remained closed, at Ulquiorra's 'lady friend'. "Unless she wants me to stay, right?"

Orihime had thought Ulquiorra made people feel cold. Right now though, she was practically suffocated by this man, by this 'Gin'. Orihime then realized that she'd been put on the spot. She searched for words, but nothing came to her mind. She tried to speak but her mouth wouldn't move.

_What is this frightening feeling? I can't even look away!_

"_Orihime_ does not want you to stay either. I suggest you take your leave." There was fake calmness in his words, maybe like the peace before the strom.

"Is that any way to talk to your superiors, Ulquiorra?" Said a new voice.

A tall man with messy brown hair and black-framed square glasses had appeared. He had put a hand on Gin's shoulder, and he stared at Ulquiorra with a sort of fatherly kindness. He didn't really look like he was scolding anyone.

"Forgive me, Sir." Ulquiorra said, pointedly looking at this man only.

"That's alright. You may leave now if you wish, your shift is over. You can walk this young lady home." The man smiled warmly at Orihime. She smiled back, for some reason, still wary of the man.

Ulquiorra stood up and said, "Thank you, Mr. Aizen." Then he proceeded to walk towards the exit. He paused, suddenly, and looked at Orihime expectantly.

"Oh!" she gasped, realizing it was her cue to leave.

With a nervous nod to the strange duo by the table, she hurriedly walk to Ulquiorra, then fell into step with him to leave the restaurant.

Once they were outside, Orihime paused to look through the glass doors. She caught a glimpse of Aizen and Gin, one wearing his foxy grin, the other the same smile that seemed kind, but felt…wrong.

"Who were they?" she asked after rushing to the place down the street where Ulquiorra was waiting again.

"The co-owners of the restaurant."

Ah, so that was his boss, or, err, bosses.

_They were scary._

Orihime thought silently, stupid as it was.

Then Ulquiorra started walking again. Out of instinct-or something like it- Orihime followed. "Where are you going?" she inquired.

He seemed a bit startled by this. "I'm walking you home." he said like it was the most logical thing in the world.

"Bu- but, that's alright! We'd agreed that you only had to walk me home from school so it would help with the project. And if it's because of what your boss said-" she stopped blabbering when Ulquiorra stopped walking and looked at her strangely.

"Umm," Suddenly at a lost for words, Orihime scratched the back of her head and found something very interesting to look at on her shoe. "You don't have to walk me home if you don't want to." She said quietly.

"Do you have something against it?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow, but otherwise keeping his neutral face.

"No, that's not what I meant! It's just that-"

"Then quit your useless rambling and walk." With that, he turned her back to her and took off in the direction of her house, which he must have known by now.

Orihime stood stunned for a couple of seconds, then rushed after him.

When her house was already in view, Orihime chimed "We're here!"

Ulquiorra grumbled something like "Umph" in response.

Once they were up the steps and next to her door, they both stopped, and Orihime turned to Ulquiorra, smiling. "You know, you called me Orihime today."

Ulquiorra showed no response. "That is your name, is it not?"

If Orihime were anyone but herself she would have rolled her eyes at him. Instead, she said, "I mean, you didn't call me 'woman' or 'trash', like you usually do."

"Hmm. I suppose not." Was all he said. Normally, this might have annoyed Orihime, but tonight, she almost felt like laughing.

After a pensive moment, she declared, "I like it." She hoped the faint pink on her cheeks was invisible in the darkness.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly recovered himself. "Get some rest, Woman. There is school tomorrow."

Orihime smiled. "You too, _Ulquiorra_." His name came softly, naturally.

"See you then…" He turned and began walking down the steps, but paused midway, barely looking over his shoulder. "…Orihime."

***

**(A/N): I know this was really short, but I felt adding something would ruin the atmosphere, you know?**

**So, new characters coming in! Just as Ulquiorra seems to be warming up to our little Princess! Ooh!**

**And yeah, I know I have slow updates, thanks to those of you who have bared with me, I'm sorry! I just don't like writing when there's no inspiration, it just doesn't turn out the same!**

**For my favorite people in the world: wutai flea,Sewa,Angels-in-flight6X0,Kitty85,Morning Bleach,Subtle Serenity,Himegimi-chan,layalatania,pharitse and Roxa's favorite-- U guys rock! I Love you all, and I hope you had a great weekend and a great Thanksgiving! Free hugs and chocolate for you!^^**

**Until next chap! Back at school for the second week of this interesting project!**


	8. Of dreams and Showdowns

Orihime felt the silky fabric of her long white dress caress her skin. It twirled easily around her as she spun to face the person whom she heard enter the room.

"Ulquiorra." His name left her lips naturally. He stood a few feet across from her, his hands tucked into the dress pants he wore with an equally black blazer. His emerald eyes were the only color that stood out.

"Orihime…" He said, looking away. Why didn't he come closer? He seemed so… hesitant.

Orihime vaguely noticed that they were both standing in the middle of a large ballroom, lit up by large elegant chandeliers above them. Whatever music played had long since seized, and the pair now stood in dead silence.

"Ulquiorra." She called again, her voice echoing, she heard a longing there that she hadn't know she'd felt. But now she did, and now she felt it, _really _felt it, to the core of her being. She _craved _to be with him. So much so that it might have frightened her, had she had enough time to feel anything else.

"Stay back." He said coolly, keeping his eyes locked elsewhere.

Orihime immediately felt a lump rise in her throat at his words. Her eyes begun to sting, but she blinked furiously, willing herself not to break down. "Why?" she barely croaked.

A ghost of a smile passed fleetingly across Ulquiorra's pale face. "It seems no matter how many times we meet, we are destined to remain apart."

He finally looked at her, and in his eyes, she saw centuries worth of pain, unmasked for the first time. She also saw the same intense longing she felt reflected in his green orbs. "But-"

"Goodbye, Orihime."

****

Her pillow was wet with tears when she woke up. A single sob escaped her as she tried to compose herself. The dreams were getting worse. She could still feel the hollowness of the longing in her chest. "What's happening to me?" She asked no one, before heading to get ready for school.

"Orihime!"

"Orihime!"

"Oh Orihime!"

"My beautiful Hime!"

She couldn't tell apart all the people who cried her name as soon as she walked into the classroom. She felt Chizuru fly at her and start to wrap her arms around her, just before being kicked to the floor by Tatsuki. "Orihime! Where were you this weekend? I tried calling you since you left Rukia's house in such a rush, but you never answered. I even went to your house that night, but you weren't there. You had me worried." Tatsuki said, a bit reprimanding, but the concern was evident.

Orihime laughed nervously and began to cook up an excuse, which no one seemed to question, though they did stare at her… oddly. Oh well. Sometimes Orihime thought her friends were kind of weird.

The entire time, though she didn't say anything, Orihime was aware of the pair of green eyes that studied the scene. The owner of the eyes stood on the far end of the room, leaning lazily against his desk. Orihime's eyes quickly flashed to where he was, and their eyes met for one electrifying instant.

"Alright students, children and delinquents. You may take your seats now." Ms. Ochi called them to order.

Everyone obediently, albeit grudgingly settled into their respective seats. Orihime received a slightly bewildered look from Tatsuki as she voluntarily went to seat at the back of the classroom, on the chair beside Ulquiorra. The latter raised an eyebrow, but commented no further on her choice.

***

Orihime waved at her group of friends as she began to walk away during lunch. They all knew what her arrangement was with her Psycology partner, and they all waved back. They stood there and stared for a moment while the rest of the students dissipated to their respective cliques.

"Is it me, or does Orihime seem, almost… happy?" One of the girls questioned the group in general.

Uryu fixed his glasses awkwardly and someone cleared their throat.

"Well, Orihime does love lunch…"

In the meantime, Orihime herself had just fallen into step beside Ulquiorra. After a week of this, plus Saturday evening, Orihime could say she felt _comfortable_ with this. No, comfortable wasn't the right word… More like, _natural_.

Neither of them said anything until they reached their usual secluded spot. Orihime had just sat down and was unwrapping her bean-paste tuna sandwich-her own proud concoction- when Ulquiorra broke the silence. "How did you sleep last night?" He asked casually, but the fact that this was a milestone was not missed by Orihime.

"Good." She lied. "No weird dreams whatsoever!"

Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow, but decided not to ask.

"How about you?" She asked cheerfully, though maybe a tad shyly. She was always careful when approaching Ulquiorra.

Upon his blank stare, Orihime expanded. "How did you sleep?"

"Oh. Fine, I suppose." He said vaguely.

Orihime's brow knit slightly. "Is something wrong?" She asked, unusually perceptive.

Ulquiorra looked momentarily surprised, but hid it quickly. "Nothing, just… These weird dreams lately…" He trailed off.

Orihime was curious. "What are they about?"

Ulquiorra looked at her and looked like he was about to say something. "…Nothing. Forget about it." He said dismissively, but he had given her this _look_. Orihime wanted to ask really badly, but she knew he wouldn't say anything more. While still in thought, she suddenly remembered her own weird dreams. A crazy thought flashed in her mind.

_Could he…?_

She dismissed it rapidly, focusing on her lunch instead.

"Wo- Orihime?" Ulquiorra said, catching himself before remembering he had finally shed the 'name'.

"Hmm? Yes?" She said through a mouthful of bean-paste tuna. The comical sight made the corners of Ulquiorra's mouth twitch, but he seemed to get a hold of himself before anything more happened.

"I was going to tell you, I can't walk you to your house this afternoon."

"Oh." Orihime tried, but failed to disguise her disappointment. She hadn't realized she was actually looking forward to their afternoon walk. Vaguely, she wondered when that started.

"I have some things to deliver for Mr. Aizen."

Orihime quickly remembered his brown-haired boss. The memory of his kind smile made her… frown. "Alright." she said, still a bit disappointed.

A moment passed, and Ulquiorra, seemingly after some hesitation said, "You can come with me, if you prefer."

Did he just invite her to spend time with him voluntarily? No project attached or anything? Was Orihime hearing right?

"Or you can go to your house by yourself." Ulquiorra said rather sharply after Orihime's lack of response.

Realizing too late that she'd missed her cue, she quickly tried to amend, "Oh, no! I'll go with you! It's not like I have anything better to do…"

***

"Hey, Orihime," Tatsuki began, there was some hesitation in her voice. They were in the last few minutes of the last class of the day, the teacher had long since left on some excuse and had left the students to their fates.

"Yeah?" She beamed at her friend, feeling bad now that they hadn't really gotten to hang out this weekend.

"I know it's not my place to interfere, but… You and that Ulquiorra guy seem to be getting pretty close."

Orihime let out a startled sound. "Umm, what do you mean?" Getting close? Well, of course they were closer now than at the beginning of the project, which was kind of the point of said project in the first place, and they were more less on speaking terms, but… Was it really something you could notice from the outside.

"Well I don't know. You tell me, Orihime. At first you guys would barely even look at each other, now, you're chatting away like buddies, you seat next to him in class, and don't think I haven't noticed the way you guys keep looking at each other when you think no one else is watching.

Orihime blushed rosy pink at her friend's direct words. She didn't know what to say.

"Don't look like I'm scolding you." Tatsuki sighed, then smiled at her friend. "It's not a bad thing, I just felt a little left out. You haven't been telling me anything lately, and I wondered…"

"Oh no, Tatsuki!" Orihime yelled out, horrified at the thought that she had been leaving Tatsuki out. "I'm so sorry I've been a bad friend! It's just that I didn't-"

"There's no need to apologize, Orihime." Tatsuki interrupted, then smiled widely and warmly- a smile reserved for her best friend. Orihime instantly felt better. "You can tell me when you feel like it. There's no pressure. Relax." Tatsuki laughed lightly. Just then, the bell rung, signaling the end of the day. "Go on, you guys are leaving together, right?" Her smile suddenly grew very sly, and Orihime was worried about her friend's train of thoughts.

"Are you coming?" A cool voice said before Orihime could compose a reply.

"Uh-yeah! Coming!" she said in a rush. She saw Tatsuki glaring at Ulquiorra.

"Hey, don't talk to Orihime like that!" Tatsuki said angrily at Ulquiorra's back.

He turned slowly, his face indifferent, to look at the girl who had just yelled at him. "Did you say something, _girl_?" He spoke in a patronizing way, his uncaring stance only making Tatsuki angrier.

"Look, I'm not Orihime, she's too nice to say anything, but it's not beside me to punch you for acting like such a prick!"

"Tatsuki wait!" Orihime quickly said, sensing the full intention behind Tatsuki's words.

"Hmph. Perhaps you should calm down. You are making a fool of yourself."

Orihime stood petrified as she saw Tatsuki's fist fly straight towards Ulquiorra's face. She had witnessed first-hand the results of an angry Tatsuki's punch, and it wasn't pretty. The last thing Orihime wanted was her friend and- whatever Ulquiorra was to be fighting! She sucked in a sharp breath and almost closed her eyes.

However, to her surprise, she saw that Tatsuki's clenched fist was now harmlessly trapped in Ulquiorra's hand, which had easily caught it before any damage could be done. Everyone in the classroom, who had chosen to stick around and watch the potential fight instead of leaving for their homes, gaped at the scene. No one had ever deflected a blow from Tatsuki. Much less simply held her punch like there wasn't even any force behind it.

With a careless flick of his wrist, Ulquiorra returned Tatsuki her hand, while she glared daggers at him. "I suggest you be careful who you aim those fists at."

"You bastard!" Tatsuki was about to charge at him, but at the last second, Orihime had jumped in between to prevent the coming damage.

"Stop Tatsuki!" She pleaded with her eyes.

Tatsuki hesitated for a moment, then finally relaxed her stance, her face still in growl.

Ulquiorra looked at the dark-haired girl over Orihime's shoulder. He looked like he was staring at an inferior being, and it took every ounce of Tatsuki's self-control not to go around Orihime and kill him.

Still standing between them, Orihime turned her head so as to face Ulquiorra. She glared at him. Orihime actually glared at him. She then proceeded to gather her books and started walking out of the classroom, many pairs of curious eyes following her.

"Orihime!" Tatsuki yelled and caught up to her. "I'm sorry that got out of control."

"It's okay, Tatsuki. I'm not mad at you." Her words made it very clear who she was really mad at.

"That bastard." Tatsuki muttered. "I don't know what you see in him."

"See in him?" Orihime asked, confused, when a third person caught up to them.

"Orihime." He said.

"What do _you _want?" Tatsuki spat at Ulquiorra, who continued to look as composed as ever.

"I wish to speak with Orihime. Alone."

"Well she doesn't want to talk to you." Tatsuki said confidently, but turned bewildered when she felt Orihime's hand on her arm. "That's okay Tatsuki."

"_Orihime._" She said warningly.

Orihime did her best to summon up a confident smile. "I'll be alright."

With hesitant steps, and many vicious glances at Ulquiorra, Tatsuki complied.

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra expectantly.

"Are you coming or not?"

Orihime was baffled to say the least. She had been expecting an apology _at least._ He had taunted Tatsuki, and talked down to her. The least he could do was apologize. But obviously, that was beneath him. Orihime stared at him, startled.

"Well?" He was getting impatient.

Orihime was about to angrily decline, when another voice called, "Hey! You two!"

Orihime and Ulquiorra both turned automatically. Only now did she realize that they were practically the only ones left in the hallways, everyone else had already left school.

"A-are we in some sort of trouble, Sir?" Orihime asked nervously.

"No, no such thing! But I am going to have to ask you to leave, since the school is closing and we need to clean up." The friendly looking janitor said. He had a thick white mustage that almost hid his smile, but not the twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh, sorry, Sir." Orihime bowed apologizing.

"No need to apologize young lady! You and your friend aren't in any trouble."

Out of the corner of her eye, Orihime saw Ulquiorra roll his eyes. A second later he began to walk away.

"Goodbye, Sir!" She quickly waved to the nice janitor and followed after Ulquiorra, catching up to him outside the school.

"Why are you so cold to people?" She asked sincerely when she reached him. She honestly wanted to understand.

"Cold? I merely act as I see fit for them."

Orihime looked at him angrily. "Do you think that everyone is inferior to you then?"

He didn't answer.

"Isn't it lonely?"

He obviously hadn't been expecting _that_. He looked at Orihime, bewildered.

"Don't you ever feel lonely, pushing everyone away?" She asked again. She didn't sound angry now. She was genuinely curious about how he felt.

Ulquiorra looked at her, then looked away. He looked like he was lost in thought.

When he looked back at her, she saw something, a fleeting emotion pass his eyes. It was too fast to tell what it was, but Orihime was caught by it anyway.

Without another word, he began walking. He was headed away from her house, probably to whatever place he had to go for what his boss wanted. Without waiting to hear if he expected her to follow or not, she fell into step with him. He looked at her briefly, then went on. "You certainly are different." He said, more to himself than her, so she didn't say anything more.

They walked like that for a while. Orihime followed without questioning him, silently turning whenever he turned, never falling behind.

At one point, they reached an intersection, and Orihime was about to cross it, when she was pulled back by her hand, a split second before a car zoomed by the place where she would have been had she walked on.

She forgot to be embarrassed when she became aware of the cool hand that was still gripping her wrist. She looked down and saw Ulquiorra's hand. He quickly retracted it and muttered, "You should be more careful." while looking away. Orihime fought the embarrassed flush that rose to her cheeks.

"So, where are we going?" She asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

After making sure no more cars were coming, Ulquiorra walked with her to the other side of the street, and quickly turned on the first corner.

"I'm going to give something to an associate of Sir Aizen."

"Oh." She said simply, figuring he wasn't going to expand anymore.

A block later, Ulquiorra stopped in front of a tall, business building. He hesitated before entering. "You should wait outside." He told Orihime.

She wanted to argue, but the warning in his eyes stopped her from doing so. "I'll be back shortly." He said before disappearing behind the revolving door.

Orihime sighed.

There were so many things about Ulquiorra she didn't understand. She wished she knew more.

A small establishment a few doors down caught Orihime's attention while she thought. She decided she'd just take a peek, it was unlikely that Ulquiorra came out immediately anyway. What harm could it do?

She walked to the uncared for place. Walking through the wooden threshold, she immediately smelled a musky scent in the general area, mixed in with some incense or other artificial aroma.

The shelves displaying merchandise were rather beat up, and on them were a wide variety of pendants, amulets, candles, and stones. There was an eerie feeling to the place.

"See something you like?" A rough voice came from behind her, making her jump.

The man laughed. "What? Did I _scare _you?" The man had piercing blue eyes and equally colored hair. A huge grin split his face.

"Umm, no, err, I was just-"

The man laughed again, louder this time.

"Come take a look at this, Ntnoitra! Some fresh meat just walked in, and she's just _speechless_."

Moments later, the tall thin man called 'Ntnoitra' appeared from behind some other shelves. He grinned almost as maniacally as the blue-haired man. He had long sleek black hair, and he wore an eyepatch. He started laughing, and Orihime suddenly felt cornered.

"Well, what do you know? Grimmjow, you were right! She is a precious lil thing ain't she?" Ntnoitra eyed Orihime up and down, grinning the whole time. His face was much to close for comfort.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to take my time with this one." The smirking 'Grimmjow' said, backing Orihime up against a wall and putting one arm on either side of her head, effectively creating a cage around her.

Over his shoulder, Orihime saw an identical grin on the black-haired 'Ntnoitra's face.

She broke into a cold sweat. The feel of dread overcame her, she saw no way out. She couldn't be sufficiently sorry for having left the spot were she was supposed to be waiting at. Now, it was too late.

"What do you say, Princess? Do you want to take this to the back of the store?"

_No…_

_*********_

**A/N: Update-done!**

**Cliffhanger-done!**

**Alright, that may be the last update for a while, I've noticed I haven't been getting many reviews, so I figure that means you've lost interest or the story has gone downhill.I'll update depending on maybe I'm just spoiled, I don't know xD**

**As for those of you that DID review: Morning Bleach,Sewa,pharitse,Roxas's favorite,Merciless Ruby,Himegimi-chan,Kitty85 and tomia ARIGATO THANK YOU GRACIAS MERCI and whatever other language you know!lOl**

**As always, I love you guys, thanks for keeping my spirits up and following my story^^ --*cough cough* and bearing with my slow updating…hehe**

**Chibi Ulquiorra plushies for all of you!!**

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**It's freaking cool, so go check it out! And leave some reviews her way :p**

**Anyways, until next time! When Orihime attempts to escape Grimmjow and Ntnoitra!**

**Will she get out in time?**

**Will Ulquiorra and Tatsuki ever get along?**

**And just what kind of dreams is Ulquiorra having….**

**More importantly…what do they mean???**

**So many questions, so little time!**


	9. Unopolyckers

_**Ulquiorra POV**_

The young man stood straight, unyielding. Across from him, a tall, dark-skinned man stood just as straight. His face stared back at his, though he had, Ulquiorra knew, no eyes with which to see.

"I believe my business here is complete, Mr. Tosen. If I may take my leave…" Ulquiorra was used to dealing with people like Tosen; he knew the protocols which needed to be followed, the correct ways to speak, the proper ways to behave, and most of all, the rules that needed to be followed.

Deliberately rushing a man like Tosen was by no means part of the ways he had been taught. But there, in his cold enclosed office at the top of this business building, all shades drawn and locks in place, that is exactly what Ulquiorra Schiffer was doing.

And it was all because of a sudden sensation… a feeling. Ever since he had walked into that building a few minutes that felt like hours ago- the nagging sensation in his chest hadn't seized. It had all begun because he had left that Woman unattended. The moment he left her alone, the slight unfamiliar-to him at least- knot of worry had begun to take place. The feeling had only made itself more strongly known as his 'meeting' dragged along, and he couldn't help himself from wondering if bringing the Woman, Orihime, along had been an imprudent choice. He wasn't even sure _why _he'd brought her along in the first place.

Of course, he wasn't sure why he did-or felt- many things when it came to _her_.

"Impatient? That is out of character for you, Ulquiorra. Why in such a hurry?" The man spoke calmly, but Ulquiorra was well trained in distinguishing underlying threats, and could easily detect one now.

"Nothing, Sir. I only wondered if my job here was finished. I did not intend you any rudeness." Ulquiorra's entire demeanor was as neutral as ever, though in truth, he was partially grateful that he was a favorite of Sir Aizen. He knew his proximity to the man often spared him the wrath of others. Not that he couldn't manage on his own. In fact, his abilities to 'manage himself' were part of the reason he was in such good graces with Aizen.

Tosen said nothing, obviously not liking Ulquiorra's attitude but being forced to recognize him as an equal.

Ulquiorra was getting more impatient. He wanted to leave. He regretted having brought the Woman along, it could just be irrational paranoia, but his experience told him otherwise. Something was happening.

"Sir?" He said, trying to get the blind man to allow him to leave. Before that, however, a phone inside the office rang. Tosen walked over to it and picked up the device.

"Mhmm." He muttered into the receiver, then hung up. Then he faced Ulquiorra. "Seems your friend just met Grimmjow and Nnoitra."

Tosen said casually.

'_Damn.'_

"You may leave."

With a hypocritical, hurried bow, Ulquiorra left the dark office.

'_Damn it, Woman. I told you to wait.'_

He hurried to the store where he knew he would always find Grimmjow and Nnoitra. It wasn't far, and soon he could see it. Through it's glass door, though mostly covered by different advertisement, he could still spot moving silhouettes. Two tall ones, closing in on a smaller one. A glimpse of orange hair made it impossible not to know who was being backed into a corner.

'_Damn, I won't make it in time.' _He thought with frustration.

The silhouettes went further into the store, until he lost sight of them.

He hurried more, until, at last, he pushed open the glass door, setting the tiny bells on top ringing, making his entrance obvious.

The scene before him wasn't entirely as he'd expected. A fourth figure stood there.

"Oh, Ulquiorra. I take it she's yours?" A lazy voice came from a lazy-eyed man, who stood a few feet away, his hand was placed firmly on top of a blue-haired man's shoulder.

"Stark." Ulquiorra said simply, taking in the scene. _'She's safe.' _He noted with a quick glance to the un-bruised and still fully-dressed gray-eyed woman.

Before the brown-haired man could reply, Grimmjow violently shook the other man's hand off and turned to face Ulquiorra. "What the fuck are _you _doing here?"

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. He was never one to tolerate Grimmjow. "I'm here on business. Matters _you _don't need to concern yourself with." Ulquiorra replied calmly, knowingly, and very subtly making his superior position evident to the blue-eyed man. Said man glared with fiery rage, but didn't speak, for once again Stark cut in.

"Yes, Ulquiorra. I was just telling Grimmjow and Nnoitra here that you wouldn't appreciate it if they went overboard with your friend over here."

"Che. I'd fight him for her. Whadda ya' say, Ulquiorra?" The black haired Nnoitra was speaking now. His dark eyes, narrow slits as always, looked hungrily from Ulquiorra to the Woman who was still standing, slightly trembling against the shelves they'd backed her up against.

"Now, now." Stark quickly shook his hands. "There's no need to turn this into a fight. Why don't we all just go back to our respective jobs, so _I _can go back to that nap I was taking."

Several glares met across the room in silent challenge, but no one spoke up.

"Come, Woman." Ulquiorra instructed without breaking the cold glare he was directing at Grimmjow.

He heard her scuttle to his side and without further ado, he spun on his heel and headed back into the outside street.

The dim lighting indicated that the twilight was beginning. The grayness of the sky reminded him of a pair of eyes… Eyes that were now staring at him from his right side.

"Keep moving." He said, looking out of the corner of his eyes to briefly meet her eyes, and kept walking.

They were nervous eyes, but not frightened. No, he didn't see fear in her eyes, not back when he first saw her as he entered the store, and not when he saw them that moment. Her eyes weren't frightful, in fact, he was sure that somewhere inside those gray orbs he saw something akin to- defiance, _courage._

'_That is unexpected. She is indeed… brave. The more I learn about her, the less I understand. What is it about you, Woman. What makes you so-'_

He broke off his train of thought at the sound of "Ulquiorra?" She spoke his name somewhat timidly, but with some of that same emotion he'd spotted in her eyes as well.

"Yes?" He asked as he absentmindedly grabbed her arm to steer her when she was about to make a wrong turn.

"Who- who were those guys? Why did they know you? A-and what business did you go there for? What's going on?!" Her voice had slowly attained spirit as she asked more questions, until it sounded almost demanding. He almost cracked a smile. Almost.

"I cannot answer your questions now. Wait until we are in private."

After a while of hurried walking, their surroundings became more familiar, and a few minutes later they were rounding off on Orihime's street. Soon enough, they reached the already familiar front porch of her modest house. Ulquiorra walked with her up to the front door and waited for her to get the keys. Once she opened the door and went inside, she paused and saw him still lingering on the front-steps.

"Um…"

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He asked easily, almost enjoying the flustered look on her face.

"O-oh! Of course! I'm sorry! Come in, Ulquiorra!"

He stepped inside the house. This wasn't his first time there, he had also been here the time when he had been paired up with him for that trashy school project. Everything was exactly the same.

"No one else is with you right?" He made sure.

Orihime hesitantly shook her head 'no'.

"Alright. Firstly, are you completely unharmed?" Now that they were safely away, he could speak freely and not care what impression anyone got.

"Yes." She said, her eyes both nervous and eager to hear an explanation.

"Hmm. Consider yourself lucky, then." He said, emotionlessly, not caring to reveal the fact that he had been rushing to her aid with his heart coming out his throat with worry. And just why did she have to make him so worried? Stupid, Orihime- err, Woman- he coreected himself, barely noticing his slip-ups anymore.

"Those men were Nnoitra Jiruga and Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. Believe me when I say, good fortune was with you today. You are lucky Stark was there."

Orihime's lips were slightly parted in surprise. "But," he could hear the reluctance in her voice. "How do you know them?"

"Through my boss." He said simply, fearing he was already revealing too much.

The Woman did not look satisfied, but did not question him further.

For a moment, they just stared at each other.

Her living room was still dark, since he hadn't given her a chance to turn on any lights when they entered, or, now that he thought about it, a chance to sit down. He didn't say this though, because, as much as he despised to admit it, something else had been in his mind, and he knew it would pester him until he spoke it out loud.

"I am sorry."

Once the words were out of his mouth, the atmosphere in the room seemed to change.

"Wh-what?"

Ulquiorra almost replied with a sharp comment, but refrained from it just this once. "I should not have brought you with me. It was a poor mistake on my part. It was irresponsible. I won't let it happen again."

Orihime's reply was not what he had expected. "If you knew it was a mistake, then why did you take me?"

Once again, this Woman took him by surprise. She never did what he expected. He should have been getting used to it by now. Ever since the day he met her, when she went to sit by him with that friendly smile on her face, which had annoyed him so much back then. Was that really only a week ago? It felt like he'd been with her much longer. And no matter how long he was with her, he would _never _understand her, he thought.

"I don't know." He answered her question with an honesty that surprised himself.

Another moment passed. That time of short moment that seemed to stretch into eternity when he was with her. He also didn't comprehend that.

"Do you want to play Unopolyckers?" She suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Her voice now held some excitement, and her gray eyes sparkled.

"Uh, what?" Not sure he'd heard correctly.

"Unopolyckers! You know! It's like Uno, Monopoly and Checkers all rolled up into one! It's even better!" The orange-haired girl chirped.

Ulquiorra found, must to his surprise, that he couldn't deny the girl her offer of the, _peculiar,_ game.

***

"UNO!" The orange-haired girl exclaimed loudly, happily, just as she pushed her little car past the 'GO' where she had stationed three red pieces of a Checkers set. "Wow! That was the eight time I beat you, Ulquiorra! That makes the score, em," she paused and used her fingers to count something with a pensive look on her face. "Eight-to-Cero!" She returned to her bright voice.

Ulquiorra sat cross-legged across from her on a low wooded table, on which laid a Monopoly cardboard, in his hand he held multiple cards from an 'Uno' deck. No matter how many times the Woman attempted to explain the rules of the game, Umocheckers or whatever it was called, he would never even begin to understand. So Ulquiorra spent the better part of these eight games basically being overwhelmed by Orihime's sudden charisma, which he had only ever seen from afar. She'd never loosened up like that with him. A week ago, he would have been contemplating which method of suicide would be more effective at the moment, but now… Now he didn't think he minded the Woman's spirit. He didn't mind at all really. It was amazing how she'd so easily made them both forget the afternoon's events.

"Don't feel bad Ulquiorra! I used to beat my brother at this game all the time! I'm the all-time heavyweight champion of Unopolyckers!"

What a strange Woman indeed.

Just what was this foreign feeling he was getting in his chest when he spent more time with her…

***

Orihime was just celebrating her fifteenth victory in a row, when a strange, gurgling noise left them both in silence.

Ulquiorra looked at her with his large green eyes. She chuckled nervously and put her hands on her stomach. "Oops, hehe! I guess I should get something to eat now! Hehe!"

Ulquiorra felt a little guilty. He'd barged into her house and kept her occupied-well, technically she had been the one to bring out the game that had kept her for so long, but still- and she'd forgotten to eat! Ulquiorra knew by now that Orihime didn't usually go long without one of her… unique… meals.

Ulquiorra felt a trace of amusement on his face as the Woman hurriedly prepared something for herself in the kitchen just behind a wall.

A moment after, her head popped up around the doorframe. "Ulquiorra, do you want anything?"

"Not hungry." He said, watching as she disappeared back into the other room. He sighed. _'What am I getting myself into?'_

He heard a loud gasp. He got up and went to the kitchen to see the reason for it.

"I can't believe we lost track of time! It's already past midnight!"

'_What?!'_

'_Past midnight?! Impossible! He, Ulquiorra, did _not _loose track of time like that!'_

He turned to look at the clock on the wall Orihime had just looked at.

_1:35am_

Damn.

He couldn't just go back to his house now. If he did…

Well what the hell was he supposed to do now?

"Ulquiorra! Oh! You probably need to get home now! I'm sorry! Um, should I call someone? Or-"

"Actually," he cut her off, at least familiar with her endless ramblings. "I'll just spend the night over." He informed, then, feeling intrusive, he added, "If that's alright with you."

'_What is that rose color on her cheeks…?' _

Before he could figure it out, Orihime said, "Oh, that's okay I guess. It'll be like a sleepover!" She suddenly perked up, catching him off guard. "We can watch a movie! And stay up late, and-"

"Rest. Because we have school tomorrow."

"Oh. Right. Well, can we at least watch a movie?" Her large gray eyes looked smilingly at him, almost shining. It was impossible to turn them away.

With a sigh, he complied, "Fine. One movie."

As the happy girl went on her way to choose a movie from another room in her house, Ulquiorra was left to ponder what had changed in the past twenty-four hours to make her loosen up so much with him. Certainly her traumatic, well, nearly traumatic, experience with Grimmjow and Nnoitra couldn't have helped… But something must have changed. She was suddenly so… free.

Walking to the room Orihime and him had been playing Uno-whatever at, he sat on a couch that faced a small TV set.

"This is one of my favorites! Gore House 2: Head-Chopping Monster!" She exclaimed brightly. Ulquiorra could only raise an eyebrow.

After putting the movie in the system, she flopped down on the other side of the couch. She pulled out a large white blanket from under the cushions and laid it between her and himself. "In case we get cold." She explained, a hint of her old shyness showing.

Then the movie started playing. Ulquiorra didn't pay the senseless gore much mind and instead found it more entertaining to look at the girl beside him. Occasionally, she would notice, and that rosy color would again rise to her cheeks, just visible enough in the flickering TV light.

'_It suits her.'_

***

Ulquiorra vividly felt the hot sunlight on his pale skin. His bare feet welcomed the feel of the wet sand underneath, as well as the occasional caressing wave that reached him. He brought a hand up over his eyes to cover his eyes from the Sun's brightness, and in the distance, he could see a familiar figure hurrying towards him.

"Ulquiorra!" She exclaimed, her smile brighter than the Sun itself.

"Orihime." Her name left his lips with a familiarity he treasured.

Her long, simple white dress was slightly wet from the sea breeze, and it clung to her like a second skin. Once she was close enough, the two embraced.

"I'm so happy you could come!" she said, her eyes beginning to tear up, and he knew it wasn't because of the sunlight.

"Of course. Do not worry, Orihime. This won't be the last time we see each other." His reassuring, but hollow words were as much for her benefit as for his. A single cristaline tear rolled down her cheek. Ulquiorra put his hands around her and held her there, while she clung to him almost desperately. They pulled their faces apart and gazed into each other's eyes for an infinite moment. Then, he slowly leaned towards her waiting lips. Before he closed the remaining distance for the kiss, he whispered, "We _will _meet again, Orihime. I promise."

He closed the distance.

"_I promise."_

***

"I promise." Ulquiorra hissed before realizing he had been dreaming. _Again._

But, he quickly noticed something was wrong with this scenario. Looking around, he saw that he was not in his room, or even _in his house_.

The sound of incredibly soft snoring made him look down… to find a beautiful sleeping orange-haired girl on his chest.

He realized they must have fallen asleep on the couch watching that ridiculous movie!

Ulquiorra saw that they were both sprawled along the small couch, a white blanket covering them, except for Ulquiorra's leg which hung lazily off the side of the couch. Orihime, seeing as there wasn't enough space on the couch for two people to sleep in comfortably, had somehow managed to stay pressed against Ulquiorra, clinging to him like a life-size teddy bear.

But what surprised Ulquiorra the most, was to see his own arms wrapped tightly around the girl.

****

**A/N: Phew! I wrote this entire chapter without pausing even once! I'm beat!**

**So, I hope you enjoyed that little glimpse into Ulqui's head, this was my first attempt at writing in his POV so I hope I didn't totally mess up! ****J**

**I might do more chapters with him, depending on the response I get, but for the most part I'll stick to narrating from Orihime's POV**

**For my beautiful reviewers: ****Alluringmermaid****,****Yuki Kuroneko****,****Merciless Ruby****,****Himegimi-chan****,****Blackheart Ace8****,****Astalavisbon****,****pharitse****,****RyumaOmega****,****Morning Bleach****,Kitty85,****Roxas's favorite****,****deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover****,****Ryokokalinchan**** THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! As always, I love you guys! Thanks for making my day!:D I send you all Chibi Ulquiorra Christmas tree ornaments! Yay!**

**Anyways, I'll be waiting for feedback on my first Ulqui chappie^^**

**Enjoy!^^**


	10. Geometry Problems

**A/N: Okay so before I start this chappie, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a late Merry Christmas :D**

**And I'd like to let you know that MiserableAttBest, has drawn a doujinshi page portraying a scene from the last chapter, here's the link: MiserableAttBest[DOT]deviantart[DOT]com/art/Ulquihime-1doushinji-page-147724805**

**I encourage you to go see it right now! It's really good : )**

**Thanks again to her for drawing it!**

**Also, I'm glad to say that Ulquiorra's POV got an extremely good reaction from you guys, so, although for now we're back to Orihime, I guarantee more Ulqui chappies in the near future^^**

**On with the story!**

*******

Orihime felt herself wrapped in a warmth she was somehow conscious of even in sleep.

She slept peacefully and comfortably, and she felt… she felt like she had before, before her brother died.

She didn't feel alone.

At least throughout the night. Which was probably the reason she woke up as soon as she felt the warmth was gone.

She groaned something unintelligible as she ran her hands along the material underneath her, feeling that it wasn't her bed. That's when the memories of last night came back to her all in a rush and she snapped into full awareness, jumping up in surprise and emotion when she remembered whom she'd fallen asleep with. Unfortunately for her, there wasn't much room to move in when you were sleeping on a couch, so the sudden motion caused her to land on the floor in a messy tangle of sheets.

After rubbing her behind for a few seconds, she looked around the empty living room. "…Ulquiorra?" she called out tentatively.

No answer came, and that didn't surprise her at all. Somehow she'd _felt _he was no longer with her. A little knot of worry made itself known.

_Is he alright?_

She wished she could find a way to know if he was okay, if only she could at least call him! But of course, Ulquiorra didn't have a phone. She let out a long sigh. The only way she'd know how he was would be to get to school and see him, so she resolved to get ready and have breakfast as quick as possible so she could find him sooner.

In record time, Orihime found herself in the kitchen all dressed for school, ready to make something to eat quickly, when her eyes, out of custom, strayed to the calendar on her wall. There was a neon yellow post-stick on it.

She walked towards it and gingerly took it in her hand, then read the unfamiliar handwriting.

_Do not worry, I went back to my house. I will meet you at school as usual._

_Thank you for letting me stay the night, Woman._

_-Ulquiorra_

Orihime stared at the message long after reading it, trying to picture Ulquiorra writing this. It should probably trouble her that he'd left this, telling her not to worry. How had he known that she, indeed, felt anxious when she woke up without him? Where her growing feelings -whatever these feelings were, exactly- that obvious?

Then a smile broke through her face as she pictured him adding the last bit, where he thanked her, as an afterthought. She could almost see the hesitation in his lingering hand, hovering just above the paper, pen in hand, eventually deciding a little gratitude wasn't much too far beneath him and all his stoic glory. Then he added the 'Woman' part in an attempt to preserve some of his impersonality. She giggled. It almost seemed like a private joke to her.

In a much lighter mood, Orihime finished breakfast and headed to Karakura High School with the eageness she'd had before starting the project with Ulquiorra. She caught herself looking forward to school again, though deep down, she knew it was more than that. A part of her, undeniably looked forward to spending time with the green-eyed man.

When she arrived at school, she greeted everyone with her usual morning cheer, but couldn't help a few glances towards the back of the classroom, where _he _usually sat. She did her best to mask her disappointment upon seeing his empty chair. Though she knew it was probably pointless, she scanned the classroom, trying to see if she could spot the familiar mop of black hair and startling green eyes anywhere.

"He's not here yet." Orihime jumped at the sound of her best friend's voice behind her.

"Tatsuki! Good morning!" Orihime sang once she was past the surprise, then shifted to a look of confusion. "Who isn't here?" she asked innocently.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes visibly. "Don't play dumb with me. Who else? Mr. Doom-and-Gloom, your Psychology buddy. He hasn't gotten here yet."

Orihime felt her face drop a little, and her cheeks warm up.

"Don't even try to deny it." Tatsuki said before Orihime could say anything. "I may not like the guy, but if you think he's okay, then…" Tatsuki seemed lost in thought for a second. "I guess I can accept him." The two girls shared a smile, Tatsuki's was caring, Orihime's was grateful.

Suddenly, Tatsuki's expression narrowed. "But if he ever treats you bad, or even tries anything on you I'll make him cry out for his mommy from the beating I'll deliver!" she exclaimed. Orihime laughed lightly, knowing this was Tatsuki's protectiveness talking. She was glad to know her friend always had her back.

"So, Orihime, are you and Ulquiorra, like, dating?" the moment was broken by the curiosity -bordering on intrusiveness- of Mahana's question. Orihime was met by the unwavering, questioning glances of all her female friends, except Tatsuki, who was glaring back, and Chizuru who looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Umm-"

"None of your business!" Tatsuki answered for her. She wished her friend hadn't been so rude, but found herself rather grateful for it this once. "Come on, Orihime! You don't have to answer to any of them." Tatsuki pulled her away by the wrist, and Orihime complied.

Orihime gave a small sigh of relief when she and Tatsuki had distanced themselves from the group of gossiping classmates.

Before she and Tatsuki could begin another conversation though, Orihime paused as she noticed who had just entered the classroom and was making his way by them, towards his usual seat.

As he passed beside them, his penetrating emerald eyes locked with Orihime's for a long instant. Orihime felt as if the rest of the classroom disappeared for that instant, her breath catching as time itself seemed to slow. She was drowning in his deep, yet guarded orbs.

When he finally let her go by looking away, Orihime let out the breath she'd been unconsciously holding. Orihime noticed he and Tatsuki exchanged a glance that seemed to be charged with electricity, and Orihime sweatdropped. Would those two ever get along?

Without further ado, Ulquiorra found his seat, just as the rest of the class scurried to their respective places. Orihime, again, found her way to the seat beside Ulquiorra's.

*

"I _hope _you're all chattering about the proper measures of the angles of an Isosceles Triangle!" The teacher said, looking up from her desk, and soon the classroom quieted down. As soon as her head went down into whatever papers she was working on again, the noise of people talking to each other rose again, though more hushed this time.

It was hard to keep people from conversing when they were split into partners after all. The teacher had said she had work to do so decided that the day's class would be to give them a bunch of Geometry problems, which they could work on individually or with a partner.

Aside from Uryu and Chad, everyone had chosen to work with a partner.

Orihime had her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and after a while of staring at the twentieth problem, she leaned back and pouted. She looked up at her partner.

"Ulquiorra?" Yes, he had voluntarily paired up with her, and Orihime found that she was actually glad with the arrangement. Not only they work great together (Orihime, though she didn't look it, was incredibly smart, and Ulquiorra was borderline genius), but Orihime secretly enjoyed his presence.

"Hmm?" he asked, not looking up from his long, elaborate process.

"I can't get number twenty." she said sadly.

Ulquiorra, who's desk had been pulled up so it was no adjoined to hers, looked up and examined the exercise in question. Orihime half expected him to say something arrogant and belittling, but instead, he gently took the pencil from her hand and said, "It's simple, you just have to-" he explained a few procedures that might have been too complicated for most people, but Orihime exclaimed, "Oh, of course! How come I didn't think of that?" she then went on excitedly with the assignment. Both her and Ulquiorra were oblivious to the whispered comments around them;

"…Those two really work well together."

"They seem to have gotten pretty close."

"You think there's something going on between them?"

Etcetera, etcetera.

After half the class period had gone by, Orihime decided they were ahead enough in the homework to talk. "So, how come you were late today?" she asked conversationally.

Ulquiorra brought his attention from the problems to listen to her. After hearing the question, he went back to the Geometry and answered without looking up, "I wasn't late."

"Oh, I know, but I mean you weren't here as early as usual." she said, displaying her deceptively keen observational skills.

Ulquiorra looked at her for a moment when she said this, then he replied, "I had to stop at my house to change before coming."

Suddenly, Orihime felt dumb for not having figured that out. Of course! He'd stayed at her house that night! She smiled a little when she remembered the note he'd left in the morning.

They continued working in silence after that, but it was more of a comfortable silence, rather than an awkward one.

Orihime would rarely have trouble with a problem, but she would routinely glance at her partner's results just to make sure she was doing it right. He didn't seem to mind, in fact, Orihime caught him once or twice sliding his papers along his desk to permit her easier access. Orihime smiled at him gratefully on of those times, and Ulquiorra only stared at her for a moment before burying his face back into the work.

On one occasion, Orihime asked to borrow his eraser because, as she so promptly explained, the little blue men had stolen hers a few days ago. When she was reaching towards it on its place at his desk, he reached out at the same time, apparently to hand it to her, and the result was that their fingers ended up brushing against each other, and they both quickly retreated their hands, having been shocked by the electric current it sent through her hand, Orihime blushed lightly. She glanced at Ulquiorra from the corner of her eye. He only cleared his throat loud enough for her to hear, and reached back towards the eraser, holding it in midair. Orihime put her hand under his to take the object, and during the exchange, their hands touched again, but this time, they lingered there, not pulling away.

Ulquiorra dropped it into her hand and pulled away, not looking up though she kept her eyes on him for a few seconds longer before continuing her work.

She couldn't help glancing up at him every few minutes after that, and she would occasionally meet his green stare instead of the side of his head, on which times she would look away quickly, embarrassed at being caught.

_**RIIING!**_

Saved by the bell!

Every student practically jumped out of their seats and started to rush off for lunch period, while the teacher called out, "I want all those problems finished by tomorrow!" Some students left oblivious to this announcement, others groaned at the news.

*

"Hey, Orihime!" Orihime looked back and saw the petite girl waving at her, rushing along with a familiar orange-head to catch up to her.

"Hi, rukia!" she said happily. "Hi, Ichigo!" she said to the guy that seemed to always be beside her nowadays. Orihime felt a bit of a sting, and twinge of… jealousy? But dismissed the thought quickly. It wasn't as hard as she thought it might be though, while usually her thoughts would linger on and on about Ichigo, lately, they were more dedicated to a different, black-haired, student.

"I haven't gotten to talk to you in a while. What have you been up to?" Rukia asked in a friendly matter, after Ichigo had mumbled his 'hello'.

Orihime shrugged. "Nothing much." she replied pleasantly.

"Really? That's weird. Normally you always have some stories to tell." Rukia commented, not unpleasantly, but it made Orihime realize that she was, indeed, right! Especially since, in all actuality, Orihime had more to talk about than ever before, what with walking with Ulquiorra to deliver some mysterious something, the meeting at the store with all those scary guys, which had left her pretty shaken up, then going back to her place with Ulquiorra, and finding herself strangely comforted. Yet, she didn't say any of this. Because… part of her sort of considered her time with Ulquiorra… private.

They talked for some more time about inconsequential stuff, until Ichigo and Rukia said they had to leave, and after their proper 'goodbyes' they were off. Orihime stared after them until she heard, "What is so interesting over there?" she jumped at least three feet in the air at the sudden sound of Ulquiorra having come up so silently behind her.

He raised an eyebrow at her behavior, and she said, "You scared me, Ulquiorra!"

He muttered something that sounded like a 'humph', then said, "Are you ready to walk to your house?"

She nodded quickly and started off merrily on the familiar way, with Ulquiorra close behind her.

Once they arrived, Orihime hesitated at the door. "Umm," she started, averting her eyes from Ulquiorra's. "Did you have any plans for this afternoon?"

Ulquiorra looked surprised at the question (well, surprised for _him_), then said, "No."

"Maybe you could stay over a while, so we could finish that Geometry homework…" she asked tentatively, having heard from Ichigo and Rukia that they would be heading to his house for that purpose, she decided it wouldn't hurt to try it out on Ulquiorra. "You know, we'll finish a lot faster if we both work together, you know how they say two heads are better than one!" she said in her usual perky tone, though a voice inside her told her that she only wanted to have an excuse to spend more time with him.

He didn't answer immediately, and Orihime felt her heart fall, when suddenly he said, "I can only stay a couple of hours."

With that, they went in together and got started.

Having already been fairly ahead on the work, they finished in less than one hour.

"Phew! Done!" she chirped after the last problem was solved. "My brain is exhausted! And there's only one way to replenish a tired brain," she held up a finger for emphasis in front of Ulquiorra's face. He looked a little uncomfortable with her sudden exuberance, but Orihime paid it no mind as she happily sang, "Food!"

"Huh-" before Ulquiorra could mumble anything else, Orihime let her good mood take over completely, reached out and took Ulquiorra's hand, forcing him to stand up with her and half-dragging him to the kitchen. It had become increasingly easy to let her happy self come out freely with him these past few days, and she was somewhat happy to see that, other than his moments of being slightly stunned, he didn't seem to mind.

Once they were at the kitchen, Orihime, still smiling, asked, "So, what do you want to eat?"

Ulquiorra didn't answer, instead, he mumbled something slightly incoherent, and looked down to see his hand, which was still held by hers. Orihime, fast as lightning let go of his hand and looked in the othe direction, hiding her pink face. If she didn't know any better though, she'd say she saw a similar tint on his pale face, just before he'd looked away in the opposite direction.

After a few unending seconds, Orihime remembered her original purpose and asked, "What should we eat then?"

Recovering, Ulquiorra shrugged, one hand in his pocket, and said, "Whatever you like, I guess…"

"Aren't you hungry? You never have lunch at school, and we were just working-"

"I'm used to eating little." he cut her off quickly. Orihime looked at him, questions in her eyes, but he looked away, signaling that he would say no more.

"Well, then, I'll just make my specialty!" she clapped her hands together in an attempt to lighten up the mood again. "You can help too, Ulquiorra! I'm a great cook, if I do say so myself!"

_-Half an hour later-_

Two pairs of eyes stared at the food inside the cooking pot on the heated stove.

"…" The green pair stared with a mixture of emotions.

"Yes, it's looking very good!" the gray pair glittered proudly.

"…"

"This could truly be some of my best work yet!"

"…Should it be that color?"

"Of course! That's an exciting color! It means it will be an exciting taste! Ooh I can't wait for it to be ready! Yumm!"

"… I don't think the color means what you think it means…"

It fell on deaf ears though, for the orange-head had clasped her hands together, barely able to contain her excitement. Had she been paying attention to her companion, she would have caught the worried look in his face.

Some fifteen minutes later and dinner was served!

They kneeled on the low table at the floor, and Orihime quickly started devouring her food, confirming that this, indeed, was a masterpiece!

When her eyes slid to the boy across her, she saw that he still hadn't touched his plate, but was staring rather warily at it, like he expected something to jump out at him at any second.

"Ulquiorra, you haven't had a bite!"

"Err… I'm not really hungry."

"Awww." she said dramatically, finishing her own plate happily.

"… You can take mine if you want." he offered her his intact food.

"Well, if you're sure…" he nodded a bit eagerly, then Orihime took it and began eating the great food. "Okay, but you're missing out one of the greatest pleasures your taste buds can experience!"

Not long after, she was done with that too. "Whoo," she wiped the imaginary sweat off her forehead. "I'm stuffed! Boy that was good!"

Ulquiorra had an odd expression on his face, it seemed, somewhat… pleasant. And he was staring at her.

Orihime averted her eyes to prevent her all too common blushes. "I guess it's time for dishes now."

She stood up with both plates in hand, and started off to the kitchen. Dropping them in the sink and turning on the faucet, she was about to get started when she felt someone come up behind her.

"I'll help." he said simply.

She scooted over as much as she could while still having access to the sink. Still, there wasn't much room to act in here, and she was very conscious of their arms brushing together as they worked.

"Orihime,"

She looked up, still a little surprised whenever he used her name, but pleased. "Mhmm?"

"Do you like him? That Kurosaki tr- boy?" he asked out of nowhere, startling Orihime completely.

She stopped her work, the water running, completely forgotten by both of them as they looked at each other.

"Umm- no! No! What gave you that idea?" she stuttered, embarrassed at the subject.

She saw a look of something like amusement pass over Ulquiorra's features. "Why do you act defensive, then?" he challenged.

"Eh… Well, maybe I might have… at some point… sort of…" she couldn't form it into words, not only because it was embarrassing, but also because, well, she had to admit she didn't want Ulquiorra to get that idea…

He nodded without needing for her to finish. "I understand." There was something… something akin to… _disappointment_ in his face now.

Orihime felt conflicted when she saw this. _Is he… is he really… disappointed? But why would he…_ She didn't want to see him look down, but part of her, a part of her she couldn't yet fully understand, was _glad_ of the way he reacted.

They stayed like that for some time, until the tension was too much for Orihime, and she turned back to the dishes. She absentmindedly started washing a knife she'd used earlier to chop vegetables, when suddenly she felt Ulquiorra's arm brush against hers, and the sudden tingle of the contact made her drop the knife clumsily. She instinctively tried to catch it, as she usually would when she dropped something, too distracted by Ulquiorra to realize this was a _knife_.

With a yelp of pain, she clutched her own hand, seeing some red blood go down the rain along with the water now.

"Did you cut yourself?" Ulquiorra asked, turning to her, leaving the dishes ignored once more.

Before she could answer, he took her hand, surprisingly gently, opening her palm, careful not to hurt her more and inspected the open gash.

"Do you have a medical kit?" he inquired, still staring at the wound.

"Uh-huh." Orihime used her free, uninjured hand to point at the cabinet where it was. Ulquiorra nodded briefly, letting go of her hand and going to get her first-aid kit.

He reached out to take her hand again, but Orihime withdrew it fearfully. She had to admit she was a bit of a baby when it came to curing her cuts, her brother Sora had always had a tough time trying to clean them up when she was younger.

"Give me your hand." Ulquiorra said, then he unexpectedly softened his voice into a comforting tone, "I won't hurt you."

Upon seeing the lingering hesitation on Orihime's fearful eyes, he added, "I promise."

The words were so surprising coming from him, she had no option but to trust him.

Slowly, she extended her hand, and he took it once more, seemingly not afraid of the physical contact anymore.

He then proceeded with washing and cleaning the cut, before beginning to wrap some bandages around her hand, with unbelievable tenderness. Orihime watched as he worked in a sort of trance.

"There." he said, his voice still as soft as before. He had her bandaged hand in both his, but even after finishing, he didn't let it go. Instead, he looked up and his gaze locked with Orihime's. Suddenly, his stunning eyes were full of something Orihime had never seen in them, and she found herself getting lost in their depts. Once more, everything around them disappeared completely, but this time, the feeling was stronger than ever before. She was hyper-aware of the warmth her hand was receiving from his touch, and the unspoken emotion in his eyes… She couldn't tell what it was, but it made her stomach flutter.

And suddenly, her senses were too overwhelming. They took over her, and she didn't wonder what was happening anymore. She somehow knew what to do.

His face inched a bit closer to her, and she in turn leaned forward.

Time was none-existent. There was only the two of them in than instant.

Ulquiorra's hold on her hand tightened, but not painfully, on the contrary, it was a pleasant sensation. He took one hand off hers, so that he only held it with one hand, but before Orihime could miss the touch, he reached out with that hand and took her other hand, which had been hanging limply at her side.

Their faces were moving again, closer and closer.

Orihime's eyelids fluttered shut as if on their own accord.

She let her senses guide her. She felt when they were so close their noses almost touched.

Their lips inched towards each other, and all the cells in her body were fired up, waiting for them to meet.

Just a bit closer…

His hands were gone.

Her hands both fell limply to the side, the feeling of the loss of his touch was strong.

Her eyes opened wide and found him stepping backwards from her.

"I- I'm sorry Orihime. I must be leaving."

And then he was gone.

She put a hand tentatively up to her lips.

Her whole body felt let down after what almost happened.

Suddenly, Orihime felt terribly alone. But her heart was still beating so hard and fast she thought it might jump out of her chest.

_Ulquiorra…_

*

**Voilá! Chapter 10~first chappie 2010, I think its appropiate ;)**

**First of all, thank for all of you for bearing with my slow updates! : ( I beg forgiveness!**

**I'm afraid I might have gone a bit OOC in this one, I blame my lack of sleep :S**

**Please tell me if it is, its just, I can't keep him all Doom-and-Gloom as Tatsuki so nicely put it, the whole time if I want some UlquiHime action.**

**Thoughts on the almost kiss? I want some opinions I'm not too sure of myself with this chap **

**-_- Hope it wasn't too sucky.**

**Anyways, I've reached over 90 reviews! *squeal* I'm so freaking happy!**

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**I hope I didn't screw too badly in this chapter…*sigh* I should go to sleep, it's way past mu bedtime!!! XD jk **


	11. I reject

**A/N: Okay, quick note, for this chapter, I'm trying something new for this fic, I'm writing two POV'S in one chapter. I didn't originally want to mix two pov's in one chap, but as much as I tried to, I couldn't find another way around it for this scenario, so, on to the story!**

_**Ulquiorra POV**_

Ulquiorra walked in a hurried pace he almost never used as he dashed out of her house.

His mind, normally calm and controlled with years of practice, was now sent reeling, a million thoughts and supressed emotions buzzing inside him, all fighting to be let through.

He walked faster and faster, trying to get away from his thoughts as well as her house, but it was impossible. He knew what he had done, he had, he had almost…

_This cannot be happening._

Ulquiorra couldn't believe he had almost lost control like that. After spending so much time learning to control himself, his thoughts, his emotions, nothing had been able to get to him. But that Woman… What was it about her that could breach through his control? He had been aware for some time that she stirred something inside him for some time now, he had been foolish to think he could continue to spend more and more time with her with no consequences.

_Damn!_

He knew what he had to do, and something within him ached, that same part of him that always ached for _her_. For her touch, for her smell, for her smile…

This had gone on far enough. He could not allow his emotions to take over. Not now. He had to distance himself from that Woman, for that is what she was, she was a woman, and no more. From now on, he would limit their time together to what they had originally planned: lunch period, and walking after school. Conversation would be kept to a minimum. Physical contact was to be avoided at all costs.

And once the school project that had forced them together in the first place was over…

He would terminate contact permanently.

Ulquiorra walked into the familiar house, he could never call it a home, already wearing his cold indifferent expression, back in control. Or so he liked to think.

"Ulquiorra." a smooth voice greeted him.

"Aizen, Sir." he greeted back with the proper formality. The brown-haired man, wearing his hair smoothed back and lacking his usual glasses, stood up from the throne-like chair at his living room and faced Ulquiorra straight in the eye, wearing his usual smooth smile, which gained a superior, unnerving quality when not under the façade he normally had.

"Now, now. We are at home, no need for such formalities when adressing your father, Ulquiorra."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_**Orihime POV**_

Orihime walked into school that morining in somewhat of a daze. She had barely gotten any sleep that night, because as much as she tried, she just couldn't calm her mind enough to rest. Instead, she tossed and turned all night, thinking about what -almost- happened.

She and Ulquiorra… they had almost _kissed_!

It felt almost unreal that _Ulquiorra_ of all people had almost kissed her. But there was nothing unreal about the way her heart had pounded almost painfully in her chest in anticipation to the moment when their lips would have met, nothing unreal about the way every nerve in her body seemed to tingle and spark when she was close to him, or about how her hands had practically burned with a heat that was anything but unpleasant where he had touched them. No, nothing was unreal about the way her body reacted to him. Her thoughts were a practically indiscernible whirlwind of chaos she couldn't make any sense of. There was only one thing she was absolutely sure of: she had been disappointed when he pulled back. Very disappointed. Her entire _being_ had felt weighed by the disappointment.

And then there was the question that bugged her the most: Why had he pulled back?

So many answers, some less coherent than others, flashed through her mind, but what bothered her the most wasn't exactly why, it was what did it mean? Maybe he didn't want to… kiss her… Had she wanted him to kiss her? Did she still want him to kiss her?

The confusing thoughts were still running through her mind that morning when it was time to get up for school, even though she'd barely shut an eye all night, and they were still pressing her as she walked into the classroom.

She pulled away from the thoughts when she instinctively searched for his form in the back of the classroom.

He was there, staring out the window with an uninterested look.

Orihime stared for a while, but never once did he look up and meet her gaze.

It struck her as odd. Even back when he had been cold and distant one hundred percent of the time, somehow he always managed to meet her eyes. It was strange, really, but there hadn't been a single day since he arrived at Karakura that his green eyes had not met Orihime's. Stronger than the feeling that it was weird, was the feeling of being… empty. Orihime felt like something was missing by making her way to her seat without having stared into the green pools even once.

Thinking back to last night's events, Orihime couldn't help but wonder if his behavior had anything to do with having nearly kissed her. Maybe he was embarrassed… she rationalized feebly. But somehow that didn't feel right. Even if he'd been embarrassed or shy, he would have still looked at her. Orihime was sure of it.

Yet… not a single glance. Not even now that she was already in her seat beside his. Not even as the chatter of the class died down to allow the teacher to speak and start class. Not even when the teacher began discussing an assignment and had the students compare their work. Not even as Orihime, accidentally or not, dropped her pencil and it rolled in his direction, coming to a stop when meeting his foot.

On this last one his only reaction was to lightly kick the pencil so that it rolled back to Orihime's side, not even looking away from the monotone lecture the teacher was giving, though he wasn't showing the slightest sign that he was even mildly interested in it.

It went on like that the rest of the morning, and Orihime mentally prepared herself to ask him if anything was wrong during lunch. She wanted to know if it had anything to do with the almost-kiss, even if it ended up being that he regretted it. The possibility scared her, more than she thought it should have, but she knew she needed to know. She hated him being back to being his distant emotionless self. Only now did she realize how far they'd come from the time the project started.

Taking a deep breath, she followed the throng of students filing out to their favorite spots to eat, ignoring the few calls she heard from her friends, and the feeling of Tatsuki's eyes boring into her back.

Ulquiorra was already there when she got to their isolated spot. Orihime sat down, somewhat hesitantly, the silence of the secluded place making her even more aware of the tension.

"Umm… So… Uhh…" Orihime looked down at her fiddling hands as she struggled for a way to start the conversation.

"Spit it out already, I have better things to do than listen to your stuttering."

Orihime's neck practically cracked from how quickly she looked up.

Ulquiorra was looking at her now. Oh he was looking at her alright, and she had to stiffle an audible gasp. In his green eyes, she could only see cold, indifference, and something sharp above all that… A pure icy venom that cut through her like a knife.

His gaze had only lasted about a second before he stared off at nowhere again, but it had been enough to leave Orihime utterly wordless, her eyes dropping down to the grass underneath her, and the, for the first time, untouched food in her hands.

She felt ill. Sick in a way no cold medicine could help with.

***

"Is something wrong, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked concerned as soon as Orihime reentered the classroom after lunch period.

Orihime nodded wordlessly, trying her best not to let her emotions get the better of her. Orihime had always cried easily; it only took a few mean words and she would break into tears. Ever since meeting Tatsuki, she had cried less and less, and if she ever did cry, Tatsuki always made sure to make whoever was responsible pay for each tear.

Right now, Orihime truly wanted to cry.

Ulquiorra's word had been hurtful when they had just met, but hearing him be so, so… She couldn't find the right word for what he was being. But hearing him like that now, after they had gotten so close -or at least she'd thought they had gotten close, apparently she was wrong- it was infinitely more painful.

But she would not cry.

She refused to let herself cry. She couldn't cry because of him! That would only make him see her as weak and she wanted to prove -to him, and to herself- that she wasn't weak!

So, gathering every bit of strength in her, Orihime shook her head negative in response to Tatsuki's question and forced herself to smile as brightly as she could. "Of course not Tatsuki! Everything is great! I'm as happy as ever! Did you know that there's this new TV show, where this half-dog, half-robot fights against all the evil cats that want to take over the world and make all the doggy bones disappear! And in last night's episode, the main character, Robospottie…"

She went on and on, pushing her pain to the bottom of herself, in a way only years of practice could achieve.

That afternoon, she was only half-surprised to see Ulquiorra waiting to begin the walk to her house. They still had their assignment for the rest of the week after all. In just two more days, the project would be over, and so would any interaction between her and Ulquiorra.

They began their silent walk.

***

Orihime walked into her house without another glance to Ulquiorra: looking at him would only chatter her resolve.

Once inside the empty house, she felt utterly and terribly alone.

Just yesterday she had felt as though she wasn't even lonely anymore, like that empty place left by her Brother's death had finally been filled. And now, she felt more alone than she had in years.

It wasn't a half hour later that someone knocked on her door.

Orihime rushed to it, inexplicably eager, only to feel her face and her heart fall at the sight of a short, raven-haired girl.

"Expecting someone else?" Rukia asked softly, smiling at her in a kind, friendly manner.

"N-" Orihime started to deny it, but then let her eyes fall. "…Yes."

She nodded understandingly and said, "Can I come in?"

Orihime nodded, not finding it in her to speak.

"I'm sorry for just showing up like that but-" Rukia started to talk after coming inside. "-you just looked so sad in school… I thought you might need a friend." she smiled at a surprised Orihime.

Rukia stood and looked at Orihime. "You don't have to tell me everything, just-" Rukia started, looking for the right words. "Bottling up your emotions isn't good. I know. So, even if it's just now, when it's just the two of us, try to let it out. It's okay to show weakness once in a while." The words were kind and understanding, they weren't demanding or pressuring.

It wasn't long after hearing them that Orihime threw herself at a momentarily startled Rukia, and cried into her. Rukia hugged Orihime back silently, letting her tears row freely along with her sobbing as the emotions poured out.

They stayed like that for a while, neither needing to say anything, until finally, Orihime was out of tears. She sniffed a little and rubbed her eyes of any remnant tears.

"Feeling better?" Rukia asked.

Orihime nodded sincerely. "Thank you." Orihime realized how much she'd actually needed that. She felt much lighter now that she didn't need to hide behind a mask of cheerfulness.

Rukia smiled. "…Orihime, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Rukia."

Rukia hesitated a moment before continuing. "I don't need to know the details, but… Whatever happened, does it have to do with Ulquiorra?"

How Rukia could have figured that she didn't know. But it didn't matter. After receiving Rukia's help, Orihime figured she deserved to know at least that much. She nodded sadly. "Yes." she confirmed in a soft voice.

Rukia nodded, as if understanding. "I see. I know this is none of my business, but, if you felt so much that you could cry like that for him… Maybe you should think about what he means to you. I know today he might have been… difficult, but I see the way he looks at you everyday. We all see it. He doesn't look at you like he looks at everyone else. I think you make him feel different. Maybe he makes you feel different too…" Rukia trailed off and shrugged lightly. "Like I said, it's none of my business. Just something you might want to consider." Rukia smiled at Orihime, who only stared in awe.

She hadn't been expecting Rukia's words, and they definitely had an effect on her.

But what should she do now?

_**Ulquiorra POV**_

Ulquiorra felt as if two giant weights had been dragging him the entire day. Ignoring his feelings for Ori- the Woman had been more difficult than he had anticipated. Especially when the image of her pained gray eyes invaded his mind, as it had been for the better part of the day.

_Dammit, I let this get out of hand. I am in too deep already._

He scolded himself for not noticing how far he was going sooner, before he developed any more inappropriate feelings. But all he could do now was cut it all off, no matter how difficult or, admittedly painful it was. Today was the first day, he reasoned, it was the hardest.

Somehow, he doubted his own reasoning this time. His reasoning never seemed to work when it came to the Woman.

When he finally got to his house, he had expected to rest and let his mind wander into the obliviousness of sleep, though he knew it would probably do no good since his dreams for the past two weeks had almost always been about the very Woman he was trying to forget. However, once in his house, he saw that he wouldn't be getting any rest soon.

"Ulquiorra, come join us. Have a seat." Aizen said from the dining room. There, he sat at the end of a long table, calmly sipping his tea as he invited Ulquiorra to seat. There were ten more chairs along the length of the table, nine of which were occupied by faces he knew well. Stark, Barragan, Harribel, Nnoitra, Grimmjow, Zommari, Szayel, Aaroniero and Yammy. Standing at either side of Aizen, were a frowning Kaname Tosen, and a grinning (how surprising) Gin Ichimaru.

"Yes, Sir." Ulquiorra did not complain and took the remaining empty seat, feeling the many pairs of eyes following him until he was in place.

"Good, now we're all here. We can discuss the plans for tomorrow's mission." Aizen said, his eyes sweeping over the table, pausing at Ulquiorra for an instant. "As you all know, this mission is of the great importance, the future of our success may depend on it. Now that you undestand this, I will announce my decision as to whom will lead the mission."

There was silence as everyone waited for his next words. Aizen took a moment before speaking.

"Ulquiorra, I will hand the responsibility to you."

"NO WAY IN HELL!" Complaints rose almost as soon as Aizen was done speaking, the loudest and most noticeable one was Grimmjow's.

"Grimmjow, I trust that in the future you will be able to better hold control of yourself when speaking. Now, what is your objection against Ulquiorra?" Aizen said in his eerie, threatening calm. Grimmjow hesitated for only a moment before speaking back up.

"You can't seriously be giving a mission so important to someone like _him!_ He's the youngest one out of everyone here, and you know he's a softie when it comes to doing what needs to be done. He'll just screw everything up and drag us all down with him." Grimmjow accused agitatedly.

Ulquiorra heard a few mutter of agreement from some people, namely, Nnoitra, but mostly just saw looks of indifference. He kept his face calm and impassive as Grimmjow glared at him.

Aizen spoke again. "Ulquiorra, how do you respond to these accusations?"

"Sir Aizen, I merely wish to point out that, despite my age, I am as capable as any here, perhaps more than some-" that part was obviously intended for the fuming blue-haired man, who had no option but to stay silent. "-and I am completely capable of completing a mission of importance. As for the rest of his ramblings, I will only say that I see no need in the pointless killing of trash."

Grimmjow looked about ready to burst, but Aizen silenced him with a glance. "There you have it. I reaffirm my decision. I place my trust in you, Ulquiorra. Tomorrow, you shall complete the mission."

"Yes, Sir. I will not fail."

***

Ulquiorra felt uneasy that night. He felt an ominous feeling hanging over him.

***

"Hello, Mister Schiffer. My name is Orihime Inoue, pleased to meet you." The smiling, orange-haired girl introduced herself, clad in a beautiful, yet simple dress, typical of the lower class women of the age.

"A pleasure." he answered monotously, unaware of how every other male in the room openly gaped at the Woman.

***

He didn't know how it got to this point, all he knew was that now, suddenly, he found himself being dragged by the wrist by an excited, bright-haired woman, who dashed down the hill quickly, too quickly actually. At this rate they would surely-

"Oh!" she gasped an instant before she was on the floor, pulling him down with her accidentally, and sending them both rolling down the grassy hill so fast all Ulquiorra could make out was a blur of green, orange, and gray.

Finally they came to a stop, their garments stained green and brown everywhere, and multiple grass blades sticking out of their hair. Orihime landed right underneath him, and her delicate lips were slightly parted, and there were a few patches of dirt on her face.

Somehow, the disheveled appearance made her look all the more beautiful under the bright sunshine rays.

"Umm…" she started, and only now did he realize he was still on top of her, pressed against her from the fall.

He got up as quick as he could, flustered, but Orihime suddenly twisted her foot, and then her entire body in a way that landed them in the same position, only reversed: she was on top.

Ulquiorra gulped. "… We can't…" he managed to say.

Orihime looked sad, and he couldn't stand the sight of it. He didn't want her to look sad.

He reached and put his hands on her waist, lifting his head slightly, waiting for her to close in the rest of the distance.

A moment later, their lips met under the fiery sun.

***

The warm summer breeze lifted Orihime's hair, making some of the locks caress his arm were he sat beside her.

"What a beautiful sunset, isn't it, Ulquiorra?" She breathed contently.

"I've seen better."

She turned to look at him surprised, but her face changed when she saw his expression.

A smile started to creep it's way on her. "I'm happy to be here." _With you._

Her eyes said the last part.

Ulquiorra looked at her, telling her he felt exactly the same.

***

"You're late." Orihime accused as she looked up at him from where she was sitting on a soft blue blanket, set under a big leafy tree, providing shadow from the bright sun. An open picnic basket sat at her side, it's contents spread out before her. She wore a simple white summer dress. Her orange hair contrasted nicely against it.

"I'm sorry." Ulquiorra apologized, feeling horrible for getting here late. He looked at Orihime from the place where he stood, seeking her eyes for approval and forgiveness.

She looked up at him with glittering gray eyes, not saying anything. After a while, she took an odd looking sandwich -it looked homemade- and lifted it in an offering manner.

Ulquiorra nodded and sat down gratefully, taking the sandwich in his hands.

"As long as you're here."

***

Two children, a laughing girl with orange hair, and an awkward boy with black hair, ran to the edge of the shallow river.

"Come on, Ulqui! Let's go in while my Brother isn't looking!" the girl said happily, pointing at the sure-to-be freezing water.

The boy scoffed. "You can get in trouble on your own. I'm staying right here."

"Awww!" she pouted cutely. "Don't be such a downer, Ulqui! It'll be really fun! You can see all the pretty mermaids and octopuses and the invisible fish!"

"You can't see invisible fish."

"Pleeeease!!!! You won't regret it!" her big, child gray eyes looked up pleadingly.

As much as the boy tried, he couldn't say 'no' anymore. He sighed audibly. "Fine, but if I get in trouble it'll be _your _fault!" he said seriously.

The girl only giggled and took his hand in hers, causing his cheeks to turn pink, and pulled him to the certainly icy water.

***

The moon shone brightly overhead, millions of tiny, sparkling stars littering the night sky beautifully.

Ulquiorra turned his head where he lay outside, seeing the moonlit face of his companion smiling softly at him.

He felt her hand reaching out, and he obliged, intertwining their fingers together between their forms lying on the grassy plains at night.

"You know how I feel about you."

"Yes." Ulquiorra looked at her, seeing her bright eyes, like the stars above, look at him with pleading.

Orihime's face suddenly lit up with a lively, rosy color. She was blushing as she turned so that she lied on her side, looking straight at Ulquiorra's peaceful form. A moment later, she had inched closer and buried her head in his chest, letting one hand rest above the place where his heart lay.

"I'm ready." she whispered softly.

Ulquiorra didn't need explaining to know what she meant. He nodded slowly, putting one hand on her head and caressing her hair tenderly. "I love you." It escaped his lips almost unconsciously, and mentally, he added, _More than you will ever know._

Then the stars bore witness to their gentle love.

***

Ulquiorra stepped into the dimly-lit room. He saw the orange-haired Woman, talking to herself, now wearing the clothes that resembled his own.

"That dress unexpectedly suits you." he said, letting his presence be known.

The Woman jumped and said, "How long have you been there?!"

"Just now." he replied flatly. "Don't make such a fuss about every little thing. It's annoying."

***

It was raining.

Not just raining, they were in the middle of a storm. The biggest strom Ulquiorra had ever experienced out here.

Ulquiorra heard the captain of the ship shouting orders, and everyone trying desperately to follow them, scurrying and slipping constantly over the flooded deck.

"It's too strong!"

"We can't get away!"

"She's not gonna make it!"

The shouts came from all over the ship, reaching his ears above the roaring wind.

He searched around, looking for the face he wanted to see most.

A flash of orange.

"Orihime!" he called, his cry mixing with the everyone else's, but somehow she seemed to have heard, for she turned her face quickly in his direction.

They rushed towards each other, pushing against the frenzied crowd, embracing each other once they met.

"Ulquiorra." she said, pressing herself into him.

He tightened his arms around her. "Orihime." he breathed into her hair, then buried his nose in it.

The storm and the shouting seemed to seize around them. Time paused for a single moment.

"We will be okay. We will survive." he whispered so that only she would hear.

"I'm not afraid of dying. But I don't want to be away from you!" she looked up at him, cristaline tears in her eyes.

Ulquiorra stared back, a bit startled for a second before his gaze became fiercer. He hugged her tighter, if possible.

"We will always be together. I promise."

***

Ulquiorra felt the tightening of his chest even before he dashed into the room.

"Orihime." her name left his mouth in a choked whisper.

She was lying on the floor, in a pool of red.

"U-Ulqui… Ulquiorra…" she looked up weakly, a tiny smile forming on her lips.

Ulquiorra went to her side, falling to his knees, unable to bring himself to touch her.

"_Why?_" he finally managed.

She blinked slowly, and her gray eyes seemed to smile at him, even on the brink of death. "I'm not sorry." she said almost inaudibly, before taking her last breath.

No.

No!

NO!

"ORIHIME!"

The scream left his mouth unbidden as he snapped awake in his bed, his sheets and pillow soggy from his own sweat.

The last of the train of dreams from that night left him with his heart pounding.

He barely knew what he was doing, as he slipped on some clothes and a jacket, silently went out the front door, and started walking in the familiar direction he'd been taking everyday for the past week-and-a-half.

***

**BAM! Semi-cliffie for you ; )**

**Okay so this was a weird chap for me in more ways than one, because of the whole 'two POVs' thing, plus that last dream sequence, which had not only one, but multiple glimpses to Ulquiorra's and Orihime's (I'm sure you've already figured this out) past lives. Oh, in case you didn't notice, one of the dreams was a scene from the manga/series, when he complements her after seeing her with the arrancar uniform for the first time^^**

**Sorry about the anti-Ulquihimeness in this chappie, it was a necessary nuisance, I'll try to make up for it in chapter 12**

**This was a kinda…lesser chapter… I apologize for that, but, as I said this once, I'll say it again, my goal is to write a realistic story, even if its center is romance, it can't be Ulquiorra-n-Orihime 24/7, you know? I hope you still enjoyed : ) **

**Okay, now, for what REALLY matters: I'VE GOT 100 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

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	12. XOXO

**A/N: As ****pharitse**** pointed out, last chapter Rukia was Orihime's shoulder to cry on, I just wanted to quickly explain, since I just realized I forgot to last chap. Originally, I wrote the escene with Tatsuki instead of Rukia, why did I change it? Firstly, because I thought Orihime needed someone to tell her it was okay to be weak once in a while, somehow, that didn't really seem like Tatsuki, and maybe not that much like Rukia either but I don't know, it seemed to fit… Reason number two, I genuinely like the Rukia/Orihime friendship, I think it's really beautiful (albeit ironic) and I wanted a chance to get it into the story : ) Oh and, this is an Ulquihime fic, so I'm not planning to go into the IchiRuki relationship much, though there probably WILL be a few scattered hints about it, there already have been, you just have to squint. So, I'll stop talking now, and get on with the story, ENJOY!^^**

**-*-**

It was a few hours later that Rukia finally left Orihime's house. After Orihime had let herself go and cried, she still felt sad, but she didn't feel as frustrated and crushed. A friend always helps. She and Rukia stayed watching movies and talking about random 'girl stuff' for a while, until Rukia finally said that her Brother would kill her if she didn't go home soon, then at last left Orihime alone.

With Rukia, her comfort, gone, Orihime felt that loneliness creeping into her soul again. Something within her ached, and the only thing she could see in her mind's eye was that painfully familiar set of haunting, emerald eyes.

With her sulky mood, she set to wash dishes, and then immediately went to bed. As Orihime had discovered many times before, sadness was a great sleeping pill. Within minutes of tucking herself under the covers, she felt herself fall into the fuzzy darkness of sleep.

She didn't know how long she had slept, when the sound of knocking awoke her.

She snapped up in her bed, for a moment thinking she had overslept and someone was coming to tell her she hadn't woken up for school and had missed an entire day. However, she quickly noted the darkness in her room as her eyes tried to adjust, and one glance at the glowing numbers on her nightstand clock told her that it was a quarter past two -in the morning-.

Maybe I just dreamt it… She reasoned, but then she heard it again, and this time, she was sure she wasn't dreaming. She rushed out of her bed, forgetting to even put something over the light sleep garments she used on warm nights such as this, and went to answer the door.

She threw the door open, just in time to see Ulquiorra with his fist raised like he was just about to start knocking again.

His eyes, noticeably green even at night, widened for an instant in surprise as he saw her, and in a moment he lowered them so that he met her eyes. Slowly, almost like an afterthought, he lowered his arm back to his side.

"…"

Orihime had lost any traces of sleepiness. She was now trying to decide if what she was seeing was real or not. Hazily, the memory of the first night she'd dreamt about came back to her. Ulquiorra had just shown up at her house in the middle of the night. He had come through the window that time, though.

"… Can I come in?" Ulquiorra asked hesitantly, suddenly looking quite uncomfortable. He didn't look as sure of himself as he usually did.

Orihime slowly nodded, averting her eyes to anywhere but him, and moved to give him room to come in.

She wasn't sure that was the best idea, after the way he had behaved all day, he certainly didn't deserve it, she knew. But if he had come all the way out here in the middle of the night… She was just curious as to what he had to say, that was all.

Or so she told herself.

Orihime closed the door behind herself and turned to where Ulquiorra was, but kept her eyes firmly on the carpet.

For once in her life, Orihime Inoue waited in silence.

"Say something." Ulquiorra spoke up suddenly.

Orihime looked up in evident shock.

She definetly hadn't seen that one coming. It sparked something, something unpleasant, inside her.

How could he…? Why would he…? WHAT?

Before Orihime even realized what she was doing, had time to process her actions before going through with them, she slapped Ulquiorra.

"Okay, I'll say something!" she started, raising her voice to a volume she'd hardly ever used. "You ignore me all day in school, you won't even _look_ at me! _Then,_ when you finally spare me a glance, you look at me like I'm some sort of- some kind of- well, _trash!_ And now you just show up at my house in the middle of the night and expect _me _to say something?! Ulquiorra Schiffer _you_-"

"I'm sorry."

Orihime stopped cold on her sudden rant.

Had he just…?

Had Ulquiorra just apologized? To her?

As sudden as it came, all her anger seemed to melt away.

Ulquiorra wasn't looking at her anymore, his eyes were focused on something in the direction of the kitchen, but there was no mistaking the sincerity in his words.

"… Ulquiorra?"

He hesitated for a moment before finally giving in and looking at her. "Yes?"

Another impulse took hold of Orihime.

She didn't slap him this time, though.

Instead, she stood on her tip toes, and in one quick motion, she kissed him on the cheek.

It was a light, sweet peck, but it left her feeling light and feathery, and she noticed she was smiling. Her cheeks were pink, but for once it didn't bother her, because, even in the darkness, she could see past Ulquiorra's impossibly widened eyes that a slight color had also risen to his cheeks.

"What was that for?" Ulquiorra asked in a low voice after a few long moments in warm silence.

Orihime shrugged. "I guess I wanted to tell you you're forgiven."

Just like that.

Was that really all it took for her to forgive him?

Rukia's words from earlier came back to her: _'Maybe you should think about what he means to you.'_

What exactly did Ulquiorra mean to her?

She knew he had somehow grown to be her friend on the past week and a half. More than a friend, if she was being truthful to herself. But he wasn't like a brother to her, somehow, that just seemed… odd.

So what did that make him to her?

_Maybe you love him._

An uninvited voice suggested.

_What?! Impossible. I can't be in lo- No. No way. _

But perhaps it was time to admit to herself that perhaps, even if just a little bit, she _did_ have some sort of… feelings… for him…

"What are you staring at?" Ulquiorra asked, but even in his rude words he couldn't fully disguise the warmth that was reflected in his eyes after Orihime's kiss.

Orihime caught herself giggling softly into her hand. "Nothing, nothing at all!" she chirped between giggles.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes slightly before saying, "You are a strange woman."

Orihime's laughing fit was interrupted as she shivered in a slight, temperature drop, which her exposed dress didn't do much to protect her against.

The action caught Ulquiorra's attention, and he was just about to ask her if she was cold, when his eyes accidentally traveled to Orihime. _All_ of Orihime.

It was only then that they both seemed to notice just how little of Orihime the garment left to imagination, as it's thin, pale fabric clung to her like a second skin, and it's neck line which went down much lower than any of her school uniform's shirts would ever show.

Ulquiorra had to swallow. "… Erm-" he cleared his throat. "Maybe I should…"

Orihime, flushed scarlet now that she realized the whole situation she was in, could only agree loudly. "Oh, yes, yes! I'm sure you have a lot of sleep to catch for school tomorrow, and healthy growing teenagers should _always_ get enough rest, and-" She was cut off short from her babbling once she had opened the front door and she and Ulquiorra were both standing under the frame. Their eyes locked.

Ulquiorra unexpectedly raised a hand. Slowly, almost tentatively, he brushed the tips of his finger against Orihime's smooth left cheek. He caressed it with surprising gentleness for a moment, his eyes never leaving hers.

Orihime stood frozen against his touch. The soft tickle of his fingertips turned into something much stronger as the feel of it traveled through her entire body like a flame, but somehow, it a soft flame. It licked her skin and felt more like the gentle touch of water, only, it gave off the adrenaline of fire.

He gazed into her eyes so intently, Orihime thought for a second he would actually do it this time. Maybe Ulquiorra was actually going to kiss her now.

Without notice, he pulled his hand back, and she was left immediately missing the touch. He lingered for a moment, then, after a moment where she could almost see him physically trying to decide on something, he turned and began to walk down the steps of her house.

"See you tomorrow?" Orihime called, somehow knowing the answer even before he lightly shook his head.

"I won't be at school tomorrow."

"Oh." she said only, not succeeding in masking her disappointment. "I guess I'll see you later then."

Ulquiorra nodded slightly and looked at her over his shoulder.

She weakly raised a hand to wave goodbye half-heartedly, and he was gone, swallowed up by the night.

***

That morning, Orihime got to school in somewhat of a daze.

She didn't know how much sleep she had gotten last night, and she was still sort of battling with her inner self whether or not last night had been a dream.

Once she got to the classroom, she saw that _his_ chair was empty, and felt the little hope she hadn't known she'd been keeping wither away. So he'd said the truth. He wasn't coming.

On the bright side, that probably counted as proof that last night really happened.

Also, the fact that Orihime's cheek still tingled with the sensation that Ulquiorra's fingers had been there.

"Hey, look who's back!" One of the girls exclaimed when they watched, in unison, as Orihime walked to their little group at lunch and sat with them.

"Finally got tired of that emo dude?"

Orihime had heard people referring to Ulquiorra like that before, so she knew immediately who the girls were talking about.

"Nah-" One of them continued. "He's just not in school today, that's the only reason she decided to remember her poor old friends." She said, only half jokingly.

"Nooo! No way! My precious Hime would never forget me, would you?!?!" Chizuru launched herself in tears at Orihime, but was intercepted by Tatsuki's foot. She whimpered in a corner.

"So what's the deal with you two, anyway?" A girl, Mahana, suddenly asked Orihime. "You guys obviously got pretty close, but I never even saw you _talk _yesterday. Did something happen? You guys have a fight?"

Orihime realized in all the time she and Ulquiorra had been together, they had probably been the subject of plenty of gossip, and now that she had placed herself in a situation where she was alone with all the girls, she had been pushed into a corner.

"Umm… We didn't exactly fight…" She started, focusing her eyes on her lunch, instead of all the curious gazes. Technically, they had sort of fought, but that just led to them making up a second later, so she wasn't sure if it counted as a fight or not. Everyone was still looking at her expectantly, and Orihime exchanged glances with Tatsuki and Rukia. The first gave her an encouraging look, saying it was alright if she didn't want to say anything. The second gave her a meaningful look, reminding her of the afternoon before, and their conversation.

'_Maybe you should think about what he means to you.'_

She really did have to sort her feelings (although, with all the morbidly curious teenage girls around her was probably not the best time). Orihime hated not knowing what she felt. She was usually very intuitive about these things. Now… she just didn't know.

Out of nowhere, she knew she had to see Ulquiorra today.

Maybe just to figure out more easily what exactly it was he made her feel, fterall, it should be easier if she just saw him after a whole day of being separated. It made sense. In her head anyway.

***

After deciding she wanted to see Ulquiorra today, Orihime was going to pull through.

That afternoon, after the final bell rung, Orihime waved to her friends and started walking in the direction of her house. She didn't plan on going to her house, though, and it wasn't long before she switched directions and, without being sure why, started walking in an old, vaguely familiar route.

She went to the restaurant where she ate every year on her Brother's birthday.

The one where Ulquiorra worked.

Some fifteen minutes later, she found herself hearing the chiming and rattling of the bells hung on top of the door to the restaurant as she opened it and let herself in.

Not many people where there, as usual, and she let her feet carry her towards the bar, where the grinning bartender turned and looked surprised to see her.

"Well if it ain't little Orihime!" the foxy man, she recalled his name was Gin, exclaimed, apparently pleased. He still sort of creeps her out. "I have ta' admit I'm surprised to see ya'here, after the way Ulquiorra reacted last time I saw ya'… Like he was guarding a precious toy. Ya' wouldn't know anything 'bout that, would ya'?" His grin turned very sly.

Orihime chuckled nervously. The man definitely unnerved her. "Well, actually, I was wondering if maybe you'd seen him-"

She was interrupted by the feel of a new presence.

People can almost always tell when another person gets close, there's always a sort of pressure in the air that accompanies each person… But Orihime had never felt a pressure quite so… _suffocating_. It was the only word she could use to describe the way she felt when the man came out of a back room that read 'EMLOYEES ONLY' and joined Gin.

Orihime didn't recognize him until he spoke. "Orihime, am I right?"

His words were gentle as before, but something dangerous lay beneath them. Orihime realized that she hadn't recognized him because he was no longer wearing his dark glasses, and his previously shaggy brown hair was smoothed back neatly, a single bang falling in between his eyes.

"U-umm… yes?" she answered, and it came out more like a question.

Aizen smiled.

"I trust you are here to see my son." he said, his eyes never leaving her. His smooth smile, not as large, but even more unnerving that Gin's, never disappearing.

"Your… your _son_?" she asked shakily.

"Yes, Ulquiorra. You have become friends with him, correct?"

She nodded dumbly. What else could she do?

Suddenly, coming here seemed like a very, very stupid idea.

Just as Orihime was considering whether or not to run out of the place, the bells on the door jingked loudly announcing someone's arrival.

Ulquiorra.

"Orihime." he said in surprise, his eyes widening.

A man, a man that looked more huge than anyone Orihime had ever seen, walked in after Ulquiorra and his eyes darted between Orihime, Ulquiorra and Aizen in confusion.

"Did I miss something?" The big man asked stupidly.

Gin snickered. "Poor ol' Yammy. Always in the dark."

'Yammy' scowled angrily and yelled "Hey!" He looked ready to to punch Gin but he stopped when Aizen spoke.

"Yammy, don't be rude. We have guests." he gestured at Orihime, who once agin considered running out.

"W-well, I can see you have some important things to discuss… Hehe… So, I'll just-" she stuttered, inching towards the exit, when she felt a large, constricting hand on her shoulder.

"Not so fast, Orihime. We haven't had a chance to _talk."_ Aizen said, and there was menace in his voice.

Orihime was frozen, irrational fear making her stand still. Before she knew it, the hand on her should was pushed away and someone was standing in between her and Aizen.

"Ulquiorra, I trust you have an explanation for this?" Aizen's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"The assignment is complete, Sir. May I take my leave now?" Ulquiorra asked politely.

Aizen slowly nodded.

Ulquiorra placed his hand on Orihime's wrist and began pulling her away, when Aizen's hand held him in place for an instant.

"_You know what will happen if she shows up again._"

He whispered, but Orihime still heard. She didn't fully understand, but it didn't sound too good.

Before she had more time to process, Ulquiorra was pulling her away and out onto the safety of the sidewalk.

"Why did you come here?" He asked immediately. He didn't sound to happy about it (then again, when did he sound happy about anything?)

"I wanted to see you." Orihime confessed.

Ulquiorra looked like he hadn't been prepared for that answer, and just stood there for a moment. The next, he hissed a swear. "You shouldn't have come."

"Why?" Orihime asked, though she had a pretty good idea after being alone with Aizen and Gin for a few minutes.

Ulquiorra wasn't expecting that either.

He suddenly looked up from where his eyes had been nervously darting to and fro, and looked straight at her. "Long story. One I'm not allowed to share." he added, seeing the curiosity already bubbling on her face.

Orihime was suddenly painfully aware of how little she knew about Ulquiorra.

She didn't have his number, didn't know his adress, and now apparently- "You never told me your boss was your father!" she accused.

Ulquiorra looked at her, then away. He started walking, and she followed. "Aizen is my adoptive father." He shrugged, like it didn't matter at all. Orihime didn't think that. "He took me in when I was quite young. I don't remember my real parents, but I kept my last name."

Orihime didn't say anything for a while. She was surprised he was actually _sharing _something with her, she didn't want to ruin it by blurting something silly out.

"I didn't know my real parents either." she finally said, feeling she needed to share this with him, after he'd talked about his past. "I was only three when my Brother took me to live with him."

"I'm sorry." he said, sympathetically.

Orihime started waving her hands around wildly. "Oh no, no! It wasn't like that at all! My Brother was the greatest guy in the world! He was always very nice, and gentle, and caring…" She trailed off, warm memories of Sora smiling filling her thoughts.

"You loved him very much." Ulquiorra stated.

They had stopped walking now. They weren't headed in the usual direction of Orihime's house. She wasn't quite sure where they were, actually. It didn't matter, though.

"Yes… I did." she almost whispered, her voice was now tinged with sadness. Suddenly, she gasped and slapped herself. "Oh no, I'm being depressive again! Brother wouldn't want me all sad because of him, he'd want me to be happy of the times I got to spend with him! Why am I being so gloomy!"

Ulquiorra watched the entire time with that same surprised, yet curious gaze that seemed to show up so often when Orihime was around.

"You are a strong Woman." He said, startling Orihime back into reality.

She didn't quite know what to respond to that.

She didn't have to, because, seeing as they were still standing in the middle of the sidewalk, they weren't exactly out of the way, and when a kid being pulled by the dog whose leash he was holding and trying, unsuccessfully, to pull back zoomed past, Orihime was easily pushed. She wasn't exactly known for her balance, and she ended up tripping forward, only to be caught in Ulquiorra's steady arms.

Their bodies melded together in what would have looked to anyone like a lover's embrace. Still not pulling away, Orihime lifted her face up to see Ulquiorra's. He looked back at her, and everything and everyone disappeared around them. All the emotions and feelings they'd each been fighting for over a week and a half didn't matter anymore. There was just this moment.

"Orihime… I-"

He was cut off by her lips pressing into his.

XxXxXx

**A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!! They kissed! No joke, no dream, for those who are wondering^^ You don't know how long I wrestled with the possibility of finally giving them their first legit kiss, and in the end I decided on NOT writing it here…But it just fit so perfectly… And in honor that Valentine's Day is just a week away…: ) Which by the way, I was considering writing an Ulquihime oneshot for Valentine's, it would be set in the 'What if?' universe, more less, but not during the current plot line… just let me know if you're interested, I'll have it out by the fourteenth^^**

**Anyways, please tell me your thoughts on the kiss? Was it too soon? That was my main concern but… whatever… I felt romantic XD**

**Oh and, I think I should let you know, the story is nearing it's end. Not too soon, of course, I still have some stuff to deal with, but you know, just so you know this won't be like fifty chapter long or anything…(I'm already feeling nostalgic :-[)**

**As always:**

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**I can never tell you just how happy your reviews make me! And I see a lot of new people here…yay! And Yay! For all those who have stuck with me from the beginning : ) I love you!!!**

**Special thanks to **_**UlquiorraxOrihime**___**for actually leaving two reviews last chappie^^ And because, well, your reviews are awesome, you always make me feel so special, I'm not sure I deserve so much praise! *hugs***

**I love you all, this story is for YOU!! (yes cheesy, I know, deal with it) I wish I could say more, but its almost 3am and I've barely gotten any sleep all week (scratch that, make that year) so I real have to go for now…**

**LATER!**


	13. Captured

"Orihime… I-"

He was cut off by her lips pressing into his.

White.

The world faded into white around them. Every sound was muted, colors faded, time slowed to a stop.

Orihime wasn't sure she was in control of her actions anymore, she didn't know how she had done it, but she was hyperaware of the feel of Ulquiorra's lips.

Orihime had heard about what kissing a boy felt like before. Her friends talked about it often enough. Plus, she had seen it in countless movies, and even read it in books. And, although she was a little embarrassed to admit it, she had often daydreamed about what it would feel like to have her first kiss. She had thought she had a pretty good idea of how it would be, she prided herself in her intuition about these things.

She didn't know how wrong she'd been.

Kissing Ulquiorra was nothing like what she'd seen on movies, or heard from her friends, or read in books. It didn't come close to anything she could have imagined. It was, for lack of a better word… indescribable.

Too many emotions and sensations to count surged through her, it felt like she could explode from it, but it was still somehow pleasant. Their bodies had practically melded together, fitting like two perfect pieces of a puzzle; when their lips touched, it was as if their very souls had connected. Thousands of pictures flashed through her head, kind of like when someone says your whole life flashes before your eyes, except, this was more like a thousand different _lives_ zooming by. From being a child swimming in a river, rolling through the green grass of a meadow in summer, gazing at the setting sun in the horizon from the deck of a boat… Each scene was different and unique, they only shared one thing in common: _He _was always there. The huge current of feelings from all those lives combined within her with the strong feelings of heat in her body, the ones she'd been feeling more and more often whenever the two of them were together, the ones that sometimes drove her in an impulse to get closer to him, the same ones that inadvertently made her kiss him.

Her chest finally felt like it would burst with such strong emotions. That's when she realized it would probably burst from lack of oxygen first.

Orihime parted her lips from his, gasping, her chest heaving. Her face felt so hot it almost matched the burning heat inside her. Almost.

As soon as she pulled back, her misty gray eyes met his. Ulquiorra's green eyes were brighter than she'd ever seen them, she could see something burning within their depths, something she might have caught a small glimpse of before, but never as fiery as it was now. Before she had more time to contemplate this, she felt his arms tightening his previously loose hold on her waist.

Then his lips found hers.

His thin lips molded against her full ones in a way that was almost too perfect. Her warmth against his coolness. The contrast between them seemed to heighten every sensation and emotion.

Orihime's head tilted slightly to the side as she let her feelings completely take over, molding herself to him. He leaned into the contact in a manner that was both careful and needy at once.

Orihime didn't think she'd ever be able to pull away again.

Just then, she felt him slowly withdraw. His hands loosened around her waist, and he hesitantly pulled them away.

Orihime looked up at him with questioning, pleading eyes. "I- I…" she had no idea what to say now.

Ulquiorra then reached up a hand as if to touch her face, but seemed to repent at the last moment, then he took a lock of bright orange hair between his pale fingers.

His eyes met hers, and for a single instant, she saw such terrible pain and longing in them that she had to resist the urge to look away. But in that same instant the look disappeared behind a familiar, cold, indifferent mask. He let both his hands drop at his sides.

"Do not let me catch you near this area again, Woman. You will surely regret it." He said coolly, turned on his heel, and walked away from her.

Orihime watched his retreating form in momentarily stunned silence. She knew she should have felt torn right now; after following an impulse to see him, which led to her _kissing _him, not to mention how she'd felt during the kiss…

She should have been filled with embarrassment and anger and sadness by his reaction. Under normal circumstances, she would have probably broken into a run to her house, then finally collapse in her room and cry until she was too exhausted to continue. It didn't happen that way, though.

Instead, Orihime found herself walking to her house, yes, but with a sort of reassured step that she wasn't quite sure where she'd gotten. She thought of the kiss, and all the overwhelming emotions she'd felt. Her lips were still warm. Then she thought of when Ulquiorra pulled away, that terrible look of sorrow in his eyes…

The thought of that look is what suddenly filled her with resolve. She didn't know much about Ulquiorra. She wasn't sure how her feelings for him had morphed during the past week and a half, or what exactly they'd turned into. She didn't know what had led her to kiss him. And she had never felt such intense emotions battling inside her as she did now. But there was one thing she was sure of: she never wanted to see that look of pure angst on his face again. And, even though she hadn't a clue _how_, she would find a way to wipe it away forever.

That night, after falling asleep, her dreams had been a senseless jumble. One thing she did remember clearly, though, when she awoke, was a vision of crimson blood, spreading out all around her, and a pair of piercing, malevolent brown eyes.

"_Do not let me catch you near this area again, Woman." _Ulquiorra's words rang in her head like a warning. _"You will surely regret it." _

***

Thursday morning, Orihime woke up as soon as her alarm went off. She didn't go through her usual morning routine, however. She went into the kitchen and ate only one piece of toast and some orange juice. She got dressed in comfortable, casual clothes, ignoring the Karakura High uniform hanging ignored in her closet.

The day before had been very revealing for her. After all that happened, Orihime had made up her mind. Even though she wasn't sure how, or why, she got the feeling Ulquiorra needed her help. She was even starting to suspect that she'd had that feeling from the very first time she'd seen him, she just hadn't made sense of it, and over their time together, she thought she finally understood. She would help him, she decided. Even if he didn't want her help.

She headed out of her house, in a direction she knew well. As she walked, fragments of moments from yesterday flashed through her mind.

_She tripped, he caught her. She stared into his bottomless eyes for an eternal moment… Their lips met. Their souls connected. It felt so surreal. It felt so…_

"Snap out of it!" she half-hissed, half-yelled to herself after slapping herself as she walked across the streets.

She needed to keep her mind clear if she wanted to succeed, and thinking about that kiss would certainly _not _be helpful. But every time she remembered it, it was like her insides had turned to soft jelly, the memory of him-

_Enough!_

Clear head! Clear head! Clear head! CLEAR HEAD!!!

Finally, she turned a corner and found herself right in front of the restaurant.

The one were she ate every year for her Brother.

The one were Ulquiorra had first shown her his soft side.

The one she'd come to yesterday, only to be confronted by a crowd of hostile and unwelcoming eyes…

A small shiver went through her.

She almost considered turning back.

"_Do not let me catch you near this area again, Woman." _

The words echoed hollowly in the back of her mind.

She armed herself with bravery and took a deep breath, pushing her fears and doubts to the furthest corners of herself. She stepped forward, and opened the door with a resounding clinking of bells.

As soon as she was inside, the door slammed behind her with a terrible smack.

Inside, the curtains were pulled over the windows, so only a small amount of sunlight leaked through. It was early in the morning, the restaurant wasn't officially open yet, and it felt so large and empty… Orihime's heart began to pound harder.

"What are you doing here?"

The voice seemed amplified in the dead silence of the place, and Orihime immediately jumped at the sound.

She turned and, sure enough, a few feet away from her, looking like he'd just walked out from the back door marked 'EMPLOYEES ONLY'.

"Ulquiorra." she said automatically when she saw him. He looked different, though. He wasn't wearing his usual calm expression, nor did he have that soft fire burning deep in his eyes she'd seen a few times. No, for a moment Orihime didn't quite understand, his eyes looked fearful.

"_Go_." He ordered, but there was a rushed, contained desperation in it, making the order come out almost as a plead. "_Now." _He hurried towards her and immediately started opening the door she'd come through.

He roughly grabbed Orihime by the upper arm to shove her outside the door. She was about to start protesting when a cold voice greeted them, freezing them in their tracks.

"Well, well. Look what I caught. It's my lucky day."

Orihime fearfully glanced back into the deserted restaurant. Standing just across from her, was the man with the perennial grin; Gin.

"_Tsk, tsk_, Ulquiorra. I always knew you'd be the rebellious one." Gin spoke tauntingly.

Ulquiorra kept his face carefully neutral. "I don't know what you are speaking of. I am simply escorting the Woman outside, or I was, until you interrupted us."

"Now now, Ulquiorra." Gin's face didn't change, but his tone gained a slight edge. "You're in no possition to be talkin' so big."

Orihime had to admit that the silver-haired man made her feel cold with fear. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as she tried not to show any fear. If it wasn't for

Ulquiorra's proximity and his grip on her upper arm, now more reassuring than anything, she would have probably run away on the spot.

"What's the commotion?"

Asked a new voice. It made Orihime's chest tighten. She had gotten a bad vibe from that man since the first time she'd seen him, though she'd never known why. Now, she was sure, her fears would be proved right.

Aizen had come out the same back door Gin had come from, and Ulquiorra before him. He placed a hand on Gin's shoulder and looked straight at Ulquiorra and Orihime.

"Well. This is unexpected." He said, with a smile that should have been warm and welcoming, but instead was just unnerving. "Gin, please show our company some hospitality." He glanced between Orihime and Gin once. Gin's grin widened more -if possible-. "Ulquiorra and I must have a talk."

Aizen was then silent. He nodded once at Gin, who turned in the direction of the back door, took a step, then paused. He looked over his shoulder towards Orihime, who was still frozen in place. "Are ya' comin' Miss Hime?"

Orihime didn't know what else to do, so she looked at Ulquiorra for an answer. She didn't know why, but she had somehow expected him to come and stand before her heroically, telling her to stay back. Instead, he closed kept his eyes closed, his face emotionless, and he let go of her arm. "Do as he says." He told her only.

Orihime obeyed. She knew she was trapped, she had no choice. As she began to walk after Gin, she spared one last glance at Ulquiorra, as if waiting for him to suddenly change his mind and stop her. Nothing happened. Gin led her through the door.

Inside, there was a dimly light narrow hallway, with two doors on either side. At the end of the passage there was one door, slightly open. As Gin walked along the hall with her behind him, she craned her neck to peek into that room, but couldn't see more than a cluttered desk, and a dark-skinned man wearing shades indoors standing there, before he seemed to sense someone looking and slammed the door shut all the way.

"Here we are, Miss Hime." Gin smiled at her as he opened the second door on the left. "Please make yourself comfortable." He said, as if he were friendly neighbor offering her a free stay for the night out of hospitality. Orihime considered taking the moment where his guard was down to run back outside. Yet somehow, she knew even if she did, she wouldn't make it out of the restaurant. The rational part inside her told her to stay put and do as she was told for now, until the time was right. She wanted badly to do the opposite, but forced herself to stay. She'd decided to come here on her own after all, hadn't she? She'd suspected Ulquiorra was in trouble, and she needed to help him. She wanted to help him. She wouldn't do that by running away.

But, what exactly had Ulquiorra gotten himself into?

She went in the room. Gin closed the door behind her, and she heard the sound of the key turning, locking her in.

_Be brave, Orihime. Be brave. _She told herself, trying to breath casually and calm herself.

She decided to distract herself from the situation by examining the room. First of all, she noticed how dark it was. There were no electric lights, the only illumination was coming from the one window in the room, small and square on the top of the back wall. There was a deep crimson carpet, and one couch against the left wall. Simple structure, small room, four walls. Nothing fancy. She didn't feel like sitting, so she settled for standing as close to the window as she could, and looked up to try and catch a glimpse of the sky outside.

_Now, to wait._

It must have been almost an hour later that she finally heard the lock in the door turning, and then someone coming in. She turned around and saw Ulquiorra.

For a long moment, they just stared at one another from across the room. Finally, he said, "Why did you come here?"

Orihime didn't recoil from his tone. She had gotten used to his harshness, even if it had decreased during the past few days. She had come prepared to face him.

"I wanted to help you." she said, not thinking about it at all. She was just stating what was logical in her mind.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened a fraction, and she spoke again. "I knew you were in trouble with those guys, and I knew you wouldn't tell me about it. So I decided I'd just come and find out myself." She sounded so brave and sure to her own ears, that any doubts she'd had before disappeared from her mind.

Ulquiorra looked unbelieving. He seemed to consider her for a second, then he closed the door behind them, and walked up to her. "Woman. Do you realize the risk you've put yourself at by coming here?" He looked down at her, his eyes shining in the eerie light. Orihime looked straight back up at him, radiating confidence for once.

Ulquiorra's emotionless mask vanished then. His face was a cross between anger and frustration. "They suspect I've gotten too close to you. Sir Aizen and his men, they think I've messed up. They think you know."

"Know what?" Something akin to excitement bubbled inside her. Was she finally about to understand all the mystery and secrecy of Ulquiorra's boss? How bad was it?

"Know about them." Ulquiorra said. "Know about their business. It's too dangerous for them to have anyone outside the necessary know about them. They had been watching me. They thought we'd gotten too close."

Orihime considered this. Yes, she and Ulquiorra had gotten close. She had sensed that he had never gotten that close to anyone else, but still, she'd never suspected that maybe he wasn't _allowed _to get that close to anyone.

"I had convinced them of the contrary. But you showing up here yesterday… My word was put in question. Had you stayed away today, you might have had a chance." Ulquiorra said, looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Wh- what do you mean 'had a chance'?"

"I mean it's too dangerous for them to have anyone outside business know too much."

"But I don't know anything!"

"Doesn't matter." Ulquiorra's tone was cool and careless, but some emotion lurked inside. "If they decide to believe you know too much…"

Orihime swallowed. How bad… "Ulquiorra…" she wanted to ask him exactly what she couldn't know, and how bad could it be her knowing, but instead, something else came out. "Is that why you tried to distance yourself?"

The question was sudden, and at first, Ulquiorra only looked away, and carefully kept his eyes averted. But she kept her eyes on him. Then he finally looked at her. The answer flashed quickly in his eyes, so quickly, anyone else might have missed it, but Orihime saw it.

'_Yes.'_

There was a long lapse in silence then. Finally, Orihime asked, "So, it was stupid of me to come here? _I _messed everything up?" Her voice cracked, and she fought the urging sting in her eyes, and the lump in her throat. She had been stupid to come here after all! How badly could she mess up? How could she? What would her Brother have said?

Ulquiorra looked momentarily alarmed by the sudden possibility of tears. It was pretty easy to imagine that he didn't have much experience dealing with matters like crying.

"Woman, stop that." he ordered, all chivalry.

It seemed to work, strangely enough. Orihime didn't want to seem weak, and Ulquiorra's harshness, ironically enough, made her want to be more like that. Not as fragile. She swallowed hard and put on a brave face, reminding herself of why she'd come here.

Ulquiorra saw her doing this, and for a moment, his face softened. He lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry." he said, surprising her.

"F… For what?"

"I shouldn't have involved myself with you. It's my fault you were dragged into this." He lifted his gaze to meet hers.

Orihime felt her resolve strengthen. "I'm not sorry."

Ulquiorra stared.

"I'm not sorry you got me involved." She looked down at her hands, looking for words.

"I'm glad I got a chance to know you."

Ulquiorra looked wide-eyed.

The next thing she knew, she felt Ulquiorra's hand cup her chin, and lift her face to look at him. For a moment they just looked into each other's eyes. Ulquiorra leaned in. Orihime's heart raced. She thought he was going to kiss her again.

Then out of nowhere, he let go and pulled away. In an instant, he was out the door and gone, leaving a wide-eyed, dazed Orihime behind.

*******

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY! I didn't want to take a month to update, but things are crazy at school, I couldn't find a break to write, please find it in your hearts to forgive me!**

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	14. Aizen's plan

Waiting was torture.

Being held captive was one thing. Being faced with answering to men with over-confident, almost scary smiles, was creepy. Fearing what was to become of you or how you'd get out of a big mess such as this was bad.

But standing around all day, alone in a room with nothing to do was pure torture. Orihime came to that conclusion not too long after having been locked inside the small room in the back area of Aizen's restaurant.

Food was brought to her a couple of times, it was no feast but it was enough, but other than that there was nothing for Orihime to do besides wallow in her solitude. Curiosity would fill her half the time, a tornado of questions regarding what business exactly was Aizen running, how Ulquiorra was involved, and what would happen to her for having stumbled upon it all.

It was entertaining for a little while to try and imagine up answers for all her questions, she would create these crazy stories… One of them would have Aizen being the evil villain who wanted to destroy Karakura Town in order to become the King of the world.

But stories could only get her so far. Orihime was dead bored and no closer now to finding anything out or helping Ulquiorra than she was that morning.

She didn't know exactly what time it was, but it was already deep into the night, for the crescent moon was high in the sky, visible through the small window in her room; when the door to her room finally opened.

Ulquiorra came in.

He found Orihime standing again, looking through her window up at the moon.

"I doubt the moon has changed at all since the last time you saw it, Woman." his words made her jump and turn around.

"Gyaah! How long have you been standing there?!" Orihime asked, startled that she hadn't heard him get in.

"I just got here, don't make such a fuss." He said with irritation in his voice. As he walked closer to her, however, his face softened visibly.

They stood there, in silence for a minute. Orihime knew this wasn't a social visit, and, although she'd been dying to know what would happen regarding her, she wasn't all that eager now that she would soon find out. She silently told herself to relax; being afraid wouldn't help anyone.

"Sir Aizen has decided to give you a chance."

Orihime didn't speak as Ulquiorra began.

"He believes you could be useful to him, and has decided to make you an offer."

Orihime looked and felt confused. Give her a chance? What exactly did that mean? What kind of offer was he talking about?

"Tomorrow morning, you will speak with him. He will explain more fully. For now, you are to sleep." Ulquiorra finished, leaving her just as confused.

She thought Ulquiorra would leave now, but he didn't. He just stood there.

After a while, he said quietly, "None of this should have happened."

"It's not your fault." Orihime somehow felt the need to reassure him.

Ulquiorra looked at her now, in a way he often did, like he was analyzing her, but he didn't quite understand. "Why do you still seek to comfort me, Woman? In the position you are currently in, why is it you still don't resent me?"

Orihime shrugged lightly. "It never occurred to me to do that." She said sincerely. Why would she resent him?

Ulquiorra considered this for a moment. "You continue to surprise me, Woman."

Orihime looked at him questioningly.

"You are not quite like anyone I've ever met before, you're…" he trailed of, looking deep into her eyes.

Orihime felt herself grow soft as she swam in his emerald orbs, that were always mysterious and appealing at the same time.

"I am utterly entranced by you."

Orihime was taken aback by his sudden statement. Her brain tried to process his words, but it was already being sent into overdrive by Ulquiorra's proximity, along with his intense gaze.

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, before Ulquiorra said, "I should leave," he started to walk away but was stopped by Orihime's hand on his wrist.

"Don't go yet." She said, her gray eyes pleading.

***

_Ulquiorra POV_

It was about an hour, maybe two -it was easy to loose track of time in the tiny little room Orihime was stuck in- later, that Orihime was lying on her stomach along the green couch against the wall, her face resting on her folded arms on the arm of the sofa. Ulquiorra found himself sitting on the floor, one knee propped up with an arm resting on it. His back was against the sofa Orihime was in, so that even though they weren't directly _looking_ at one another, their heads were close enough that they could comfortably talk and hear each other without trouble. After Orihime had asked him to stay, this was where they'd ended up.

"…Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked after a lapse of silence.

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering… Do you think- Um, do you think it could be possible for people to have lived for years-centuries even, during different lives, and that in each one, their hearts could be connected to someone else's, someone whom they'd find each new life?"

Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow, though Orihime couldn't see. Her question surprised him. Under any other circumstances, he would have found it silly and irrelevant. However… "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean…" she seemed to think about it for a second. "Could it be possible for two souls to be meant to be together for all eternity? Meeting even after death to come together… I just, I don't know…"

Ulquiorra clearly remembered his dreams. The dreams he'd been having almost every night, displaying scenes of what could seem like different lifetimes, and in each one, the orange-haired woman was present. "Perhaps." he said finally.

Without his permission, his mind was suddenly filled with all the different scenarios, all featuring him and Orihime together somewhere. Some were sad, even tragic, others were bright and beautiful. His eyes unconsciously drifted closed as he went deeper into a lost memory of him embracing her, his face buried in her hair. She smelled so… sweet.

His eyes snapped open as he returned from the scene. He found, with some dread, that the sweet smell lingered in the room. He twisted his neck to be able to look at her. The corners of his mouth were tugged up in something akin to a smile when he saw that Orihime had fallen asleep. Her mouth was slightly open and she snored very softly. Her long locks of hair fell on her face and he, with utter tenderness that he wasn't used to, brushed them back with his fingers. His eyes lingered on her face, so peaceful in sleep.

Something in his chest twisted painfully as he thought of what was ahead of her. Tomorrow Aizen would try to gain her as an ally; if she accepted, her fate would be sealed as his was, doomed to work for him, forever running from the law, and if she didn't accept… That wasn't really an option.

Ulquiorra loathed himself for bringing her to this. It was all his fault and he couldn't do a damn thing about it! Not unless…

Could he betray him?

Could he betray his own father and the life he'd always know for the sake of this Woman? One look at her and he knew the answer.

Yes.

Without hesitation, he knew he'd go against everything he'd known for _her_. The Woman had unknowingly awakened something inside him, something even _he_ hadn't known was there. A feeling, a warm feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Sighing, he stood and started to leave.

Suddenly, the Woman stirred.

He froze. For a moment, he thought she'd woken, but it was soon clear she remained unconscious. However, he was shocked, and admittedly curious, to hear her mumble something. At first, he didn't understand what she was saying. She kept repeating something, until he was finally able to hear,

"_Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra…"_

His green eyes widened tremendously when he realized the Woman was muttering _his name!_

Over and over she would mumble the same thing, then finally get this contented look on her face, until she finally went back to silence.

Ulquiorra wasn't sure what to feel at that moment, but he knew he felt a familiar warmth, something like what he'd felt the day before, when she had… He'd been avoiding thinking about it, but he guessed at this point in time, it really didn't matter… when _she kissed him_ yesterday.

Ulquiorra let his guard down for a moment, and just as he was about to leave, he put one arm against the top of the couch, the other on the arm, just beside Orihime's face, creating a makeshift cage around her with his arms. He brought his face down, and softly brushed his lips against her head, kissing her hair.

He then pulled back, turned around, and without another look, exited the room.

***

The next morning came too quickly for Ulquiorra's taste.

He reluctantly went to Orihime's room and unlocked the door. He was dreading waking her up for this, but surprisingly, and somewhat to his relief, he opened the door and she immediately looked over her shoulder at him from where she was kneeling by the window.

"Come." he said simply.

She didn't say anything, just stood up and walked over to him.

She didn't look at him this time. Her eyes were sort of focused nowhere in particular. Ulquiorra stared at her.

"Aren't we going?" Orihime asked, finally looking at him. She seemed… resigned. Ulquiorra wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Of course."

He led her out to the small hallway that was hidden away behind Aizen's restaurant, and all the way to the door at the very end. Aizen's office.

"May we enter, Sir?" Ulquiorra asked before hearing a silky smooth voice say "Come in."

Ulquiorra opened the door and went inside, Orihime one step behind him.

Ulquiorra expected Orihime to look around and inspect her surroundings, which he was already so familiar with. However, as soon as she entered her eyes were cast downwards, while she held her hands in front of her.

"Good morning, Miss Orihime." Aizen said from were he sat in his seat behind a large wooden desk, his eyes measuring the girl before him. Ulquiorra noticed there was no one else in the room. Usually Aizen was in company of either Gin or his associate Kaname Tosen. Neither were present today.

Orihime barely looked up and nodded in response to Aizen's greeting.

Ulquiorra noted she didn't even look nervous, like he'd expected her to be. She was perfectly calm… She was very brave indeed. His admiration for her grew in that moment.

"Well, it seems we have many things to discuss, Orihime. Ulquiorra," Aizen looked at him, "-you may leave us."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened a fraction, but otherwise, he concealed his surprise very efficiently. Leaving Aizen and Orihime alone had _not_ been discussed. The idea did not suit him at all. Orihime discreetly looked up at him now. He'd seen the look in her eyes before. It was an expectant look, asking him to come to her rescue. It burned away at his insides that he could do nothing but ignore her pleading eyes… _for now._

Ulquiorra nodded his head solemnly at Aizen. "Yes, Sir." he said, then turned and started to leave. As he crossed paths with Orihime, he paused very subtly next to her. He was careful to keep looking ahead as he spoke his next words so softly only she would hear them. "_Keep your eyes open._" he warned. He was glad to see Orihime had the sense not to show any reaction to his words, and with that, he left the room.

***

_Orihime POV_

Any mild comfort she might have had from Ulquiorra's presence was now gone. His whispered words resonated in her mind, _"Keep your eyes open."_

A warning.

She knew she needed to be careful. But there wasn't much she could do at the moment except stay calm and listen to what Aizen had to say.

"Miss Orihime, first of all I'd like to apologize for any inconvenience this could be causing you. You do understand, of course, these are necessary measures." Aizen spoke to her in his silky 'pleasant' voice. It made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

She didn't say anything, just waited for him to go on.

"It has come to my attention that for the past week or so, you have developed a relationship with Ulquiorra, correct?" he started casually. Orihime tried not to react to the word 'relationship'. She decided just to nod in response.

"So then, by now you are aware that Ulquiorra works for me in a rather…_delicate_ business. Right?" It was no question. Orihime knew enough by now to realize that. That's why she made no attempt to deny it. Aizen had his mind set already, trying to dissuade him would only make things worse for her and for Ulquiorra. She remained silent and waited for Aizen to go on. "I want you to know that I did not wish for this to happen. The last thing I wanted was to get you involved in this situation, but unfortunately that is how things turned out. There is nothing I can do about that. You understand that, right Orihime?"

Orihime hated being talked to like that.

Like she was just a young child who'd done something wrong and was expected to acknowledge it like a mature adult. Like she was being talked down on by a scolding superior who wanted to be kind to her, despite her inferiority. The way Aizen was talking to her now.

Orihime was once again grateful for having been raised by her Brother, who would have never talked to her like that.

Despite everything she felt, she swallowed it all up and remained quiet.

"This is a very difficult situation indeed. However, you will find that I am a very generous man." Aizen said. Orihime was wary of what his next words would be. "See, I run a business with different corporations all over Japan. It's quite an honest business, really. Just like any other. We buy and we sell. Just an ordinary business." Aizen's smile grew slightly. There was an almost mischievous glint in his eyes. "Business is doing good right now, but it's due to the fact that it is a well kept secret. And you, Orihime, are going to help us keep it that way."

Orihime's eyes widened. "Me?" What could he want _her_ for?

"I have many people working for me, and each of them delivers the products I sell to one corporation. But, it so happens that this next Saturday I have a very important delivery to make, and the employee responsible just called to say he couldn't make it. That's were _you_ come in."

Orihime froze. She knew where this was going.

"Next Tuesday morning, you, Orihime, will have the task of delivering a very important product. I trust it won't be difficult, and that you _will_ complete the task successfully. I trust you to be discreet about this as well, of course."

Orihime had to do all in her power to keep her voice from quivering. Her hands were tightened into slightly trembling fists. "Yes, Sir."

Aizen smiled at her, then dismissed her. "Ulquiorra may take you to your home tonight." he said, and Orihime was out.

Out in the hallway she let her breath out and hunched over and continued almost gasping for breath. The entire time in Aizen's office had made her feel like she was suffocating, and getting out was like taking a breath after staying underwater too long.

She didn't notice at first when an comforting and slightly hesitant hand fell on her shoulder. Feeling his touch, her eyes immediately snapped up and met with his deep green orbs.

"Come on." he said.

Ulquiorra waited for her to straighten up and calm down. His hand was still on her shoulder. But as soon as she was recovered, he let his hand slip off, back to his side, and he began walking ahead, and out of the hallway, through the restaurant, and finally, outside.

"Ulqui-" Orihime started, once they were out, but was cut off.

"You can talk at your house. Let's go." He instructed, and they hurried silently all the way to Orihime's place in the late morning light.

Orihime found the key hidden under the matt with mechanical movements once they reached the house. She didn't take any time to look at it from the outside, even after spending an almost two days away from it; she just went right in, with Ulquiorra one step behind her.

Once inside, Ulquiorra immediately shut the door behind them and locked it. Orihime switched the lights on. Then they were just facing each other.

"…Ulquiorra,"

"I know what Aizen told you. He's going to have you work a job for him." Ulquiorra beat her to the point. Orihime opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before Ulquiorra went on. "Aizen runs a business selling black market products to big companies. Said companies pay for what they believe is an exclusive item, to then sell it at a higher price and get ahead their competitors. What they don't know is that Aizen is selling the same products to every company. That's why he needs at least ten different subordinates, to have a different one negotiating with every company. You'll be running the next dealings." Ulquiorra finished.

Orihime was shocked. "Why did you tell me all this?"

Ulquiorra looked away before answering. "It's obvious Aizen firmly believes you already know. He can't risk you going to the authorities, or even to the companies and telling them everything. If that happened, it would be over for Aizen. By making you run a job, he's making you an accomplice. He's trapping you so you can't take him down without going down yourself."

Orihime took a moment to take it all in. It took her a moment to find what to say next. "If telling on him is all it takes to take him down, why hasn't anybody done so? I'm sure the police wouldn't punish them if they-"

"This is bigger than you think." He looked at her. "Aizen has friends in the police and other authorities. You could just as easily be sentencing yourself by going against him unprepared. Once you work for him, you have no choice but to stay loyal."

It was a long moment before Orihime spoke again. "…Is that what happened to you?" she asked hesitantly.

"No." he said only. She hadn't expected much more from him, but it was still a dissapointing explanation.

"So what now?" she ventured.

"Now you do as you're told. I'm sure Aizen will have his men watching you, so don't to go out unless necessary. Until Tuesday, continue your life as you normally would. Got to school. Don't act suspicious. Don't say anything you shouldn't. Be wary."

Orihime was very quiet then. Ulquiorra was hesitant before asking, "Are you alright, Orihime?"

She was surprised by his-almost, concerned words. Before she knew it, she had a huge smile on her face. "Yeah of course I'm alright! There's nothing to worry about! No no!" she laughed nervously at the end and awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

Ulquiorra watched her in silent amazement. He opened his mouth and looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it. "I'll see you tomorrow, in school. Goodnight, Woman." And then he left.

***

Orihime stood on the edge of a dark, seemingly endless precipice. She wanted to back away, but she couldn't move.

Why?!

She tried with all her might, but instead of going back, she found herself moving _forward_.

She tried screaming, but nobody would hear her and as she edged closer and closer to the fall, she could hear one silky voice saying "You understand, don't you Orihime. I have to do this."

Then the earth disappeared from under her feet.

Before she even had time to scream, though, she felt herself stop in the middle of the air. Her feet dangled beneath her, and she looked up to find someone tightly grasping her hand.

"Ulquiorra!"

He struggled to pull her out, but finally managed to get her back to safety. They helped each other stand up from the ground, and Orihime noticed their hands bound together between them, even after she was safe. Ulquiorra looked at her with an almost soft, yearning look similar to the one he'd had after their kiss. Eyes locked with hers, he let go of one of her hands -keeping the other grasped, making their intertwined hands the only things separating them now- and laid his free hand on her cheek.

They were so close… Orihime felt her heartbeat like it was almost synchronized with his. He opened his mouth to say something, but someone else appeared- a smiling brown-haired man.

Before she could react, the man she now recognized as Aizen was about to push her back into the precipice, but Ulquiorra was faster, and got her out of the way just in time. Unfortunately, in the process, he got himself thrown down instead.

Orihime cried out.

She immediately fell flat against the ground at the edge of the precipice, looking into its blackness, one hand extended towards Ulquiorra, knowing it would never reach him…

***

She woke up gasping, tears at the corners of her eyes.

_She immediately fell flat against the ground at the edge of the precipice, looking into its blackness, one hand extended towards Ulquiorra, knowing it would never reach him…_

The final scene in her dream stayed fresh in her mind. She could almost feel as her hand reached out to touch him, but found only empty air.

_Too late._

***

A/N: It took me a LONG time to write this. I spent like a week writing one paragraph one day, two the next…GYAAAAH!!!! It was annoying, because it was mostly dealing with Aizen's business, which has been finally revealed! HURRAY FOR THAT! I DID try to get some Ulquihime moments in there, though, hope they were good^^

So:

Pharitse

MiloMaxwell AlmightySteelShoe

Rag Daz the Spaz Kat

Chaeria

lengshmily

relya_schiffer

TheLastNumberInPi

Himegimi-chan

Alluringmermaid BananaCreme

Merciless Ruby chrome midori

sonofafluffymuffin

WestAnimeBrigade MarHeavenAngel nobody159 yuuki36 Roxas's favorite

Scarlettsky

ulquiorraxorihime

BlumberBerry

roystealer

THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, again, without Reviews, I would never have made it to 5 chapters, let alone 14 XD So thanks!!!!!!!!3

You may have noticed, my A/N is no longer in BOLD, that is because my computer has been…weird lately and my last chapter was published almost fully in BOLD for no apparent reason, so I'm not taking any chances. No BOLD for me anymore, hehe

Oh and I need to get this out of my sistem; BLEACH MOVIE 4 IS COMING IN DECEMBER 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAAAAAAAAHHHHH I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

-That was all XD

See ya for the great Chapter 15!!!!!!!!! Oooooh and I'm almost up to 200 reviews!!! I'm so excited!!!!:D

Bye for now!!!


	15. Hairball

Monday morning.

Orihime's alarm woke her like any other morning. She opened her eyes to find her room looking exactly as it always did, making her almost believe that everything that happened in the last 48 hours had just been a bad dream. This notion was lost, however, when she opened the front door, about to head to school, and found Ulquiorra leaning against her porch, already in his school uniform, looking like he'd been waiting a while.

"What are you-?"

"We're walking to school together today. It's best if you spend the least amount of time alone as possible."

Orihime knew better than to argue at this point. Besides, it wasn't like she minded his company…

They started the walk to school in silence. Orihime very aware of some of the looks her neighbors were giving her when they saw her on her way to school with Ulquiorra.

"Speak."

Orihime's mouth dropped open when she heard the single word come from Ulquiorra. She frowned. It sounded like a dog command.

Ulquiorra threw her a sideways glance and caught her expression. "No need to be sore, Woman. I only meant for you to start conversing, so you'd be more relaxed."

The first thing Orihime thought was that he'd caught on the fact that she was tense, nervous. She thought she had been hiding it pretty well. Second, that Ulquiorra was, in his own way, showing his concern for her well being, and she had to fight a smile from forming on her lips. What she said at last though, was "Why don't _you_ start a conversation?"

The surprise at her question was evident on Ulquiorra's face (well, as evident as any emotion could be for him). "Well… I…." he looked away from her, and for the first time, Orihime saw Ulquiorra without that hundred-percent self-assuredness. She saw him struggling for something to say. It was, she allowed herself to think quietly, very cute.

She giggled lightly into her hand. "You're not very good at starting conversations."

His eyes narrowed slightly and he looked like he wanted to argue, but they both knew she was right.

Orihime kept on smiling. "That's okay. I kinda like shy guys." She said before she could stop herself.

"_Shy?"_ he repeated like the it tasted bad to say it. It was a moment before it dawned on him just what she'd said.

Orihime felt her cheeks burn and looked away before she could see his face also gain color.

They didn't attempt to talk anymore on the way to school. Once there, Ulquiorra finally said, "Remember, you have to act like nothing's happened. Should anyone get even a little suspiscious…"

"I know." She interrupted him. She didn't need any reminding of what she had gone through- and still had to go through.

There was a slight pause, then Ulquiorra asked, "Are you okay?"

Orihime hadn't expected the question. She tried plastering a smile on her face and nodding. She could tell he wasn't fooled. He looked at her for a long moment, with those deep eyes of his that could make any girl's knees turn to jelly. Finally, he gave her a slight nod, as if telling her to go on with her day, and she left to find her friends.

Orihime had to admit, she wasn't exactly itching to find her friends today, but maybe their company would be comforting to her. And she could use some normalcy to relax a little.

She found them along with most of her class, already in the classroom for their first class, which wasn't starting for a good ten minutes, so everyone was just horsing around and catching up on the latest gossip.

Tatsuki was the first to spot her. And following her gaze, the rest of the group of friends saw Orihime. None had much time to greet her, though, before she was nearly tackled to the ground by Chizuru's bone-crushing hug. Dramatic tears ran down her cheeks as she cried "Oh my Hime! You had me so worried! You never skip school and I thought something had happened! Oh I'm so happy you're okay!"

x-X-X-x

_Ulquiorra POV_

He entered the classroom as unnoticed as he always did. He watched as Orihime's redheaded friend, whose name he didn't care for, recklessly glomped her, while her other friends tried catching her eye from behind the redhead, and asked her 'Why weren't you at school Friday?' 'Did something happen?' 'Were you sick?' 'Are you okay?' And other generic, non-creative and even less helpful questions. Easy for Orihime to lie about.

He knew Orihime was the type of person who disliked lying to her friends, and at first he'd been fearful that that would prevent her from being convincing with her story. He was surprised, however, and relieved, to see she was a very convincing actress, which he knew in the current mess she was in, was a very good quality to have.

Once the loudest part of Orihime's return was over, Ulquiorra started his way to his seat in the back of the classroom. Just as he passed by where Orihime was, Tatsuki, who had previously been looking at Orihime with concerned and questioning eyes, turned and locked eyes with him.

Her dark eyes were intense and somehow accusing. Like she knew Orihime was lying, despite how convincing she'd sounded. Like she knew Ulquiorra had something to do with it. Like she knew it was all his fault.

Ulquiorra looked away and took his seat. He looked out the window and fought the sinking feeling inside himself. He didn't need Tatsuki to remind him. He knew this was all his fault.

And he knew he had to do something to fix it.

x-X-X-x

Ulquiorra was relieved when, just before class started, Orihime took her seat next to his. He told himself this was because this way, he could keep an eye on her, but somewhere deep inside he knew that wasn't it.

All they had to do, Ulquiorra was just telling himself, was go on with the day as casually as possible. This wasn't new to him, the opposite in fact, but Orihime was a different story. He hoped she could handle it. She seemed to be doing fine. Perhaps a bit more spaced-out than usual, but he trusted no one would find this out of place in someone as unusual as her. He resisted the little impulse to smile he got lately when he thought of Orihime's strange antics, which had been so annoying to him at first.

He dared one glance over at her, and was contented to see her looking quite normal. She was keeping a nearly flawless façade, and for a moment, he wondered if this was not the first time she put on an act of cheerfulness for everybody.

He was brought out of his reverie by his teacher's voice saying, "Miss Inoue and Miss Schiffer, nice of you to join us today. I hope you each have a medical excuse for being absent on Friday." The teacher narrowed his eyes at both of them. Ulquiorra could imagine Orihime blushing lightly and pretty- err, embarrassed. He kept his own face neutral, and eventually his teacher broke eye contact. He began again, "As you know, you unfortunately missed the day of the oral presentations, concerning your Psychology project, given to you two weeks ago. Luckily, both of you are here now, ready to present, I'm sure?" he said the last part like a question, and Ulquiorra knew he saw in the man's eyes that he was hoping Ulquiorra or Orihime would protest.

Ulquiorra glanced at Orihime, not sure if she was in any fit state to do an oral presentation about her two weeks with him. She surprised him, however, by standing up and looking back at him, a small, reassuring smile on her lips. He still didn't think she should do it, but he couldn't argue with the look she gave him. So he followed suit by standing up, and they both made their way to the front of the class. He allowed himself a short, triumphant look towards the teacher, who made a show of clearing his throat and taking a seat angling towards them. "You may begin."

Ulquiorra wasn't sure if he should speak first. He still didn't know if Orihime could do this without bringing forth too much of what happened these past days, and losing her act. He was considering doing all the speaking, the class and teacher all expectantly waiting for one of them to speak.

Orihime took a small step forward. Ulquiorra shot her a warning look. Her gray eyes looked back at him. They were saying it was alright. A little reluctantly, Ulquiorra allowed himself to relax back and let Orihime talk.

"Umm, hello everyone!" She started, a little nervously as the entire class focused on her. "Two weeks ago we were each paired up with someone this class, someone who maybe we didn't know very well, and we were told to get to know this person better." Orihime continued, the words flowing towards whatever her point would be. Ulquiorra listened patiently, and, admittedly curious.

"Well, at first I thought it'd be really great and easy. I was looking forward to spending time with someone and have the chance to make a new friend. It turned out that it wasn't so easy after all." She paused for a moment. Ulquiorra pondered her words. He wasn't sure where she was going, but as much as he would like to deny it, he felt a bit deflated hearing how she'd been disappointed with him as partner. Not that he should have expected anything else, of course. It should have been obvious. Not only was he always rude and cold to her, he also got her involved in a business that might very well put her life in the line. But part of him wanted to hear that, even if it was just a little, Orihime had been happy these last two weeks. Maybe he was just being selfish.

Or maybe it was because that's the way _he _felt.

Orihime started again. "I never expected to be partnered with someone as different from me as Ulquiorra. He is quiet and logical. He always stays calm no matter what and I've never seen him loose control of himself. While I am loud and talk a lot, I easily get nervous under pressure, and I'm not perhaps, as grounded on reality." Ulquiorra laughed -inwardly only, of course- at hearing Orihime's slight description of her cheery personality, her random outbursts and overactive imagination, and mild mention of his own stoic and generally emotionless persona. Orihime went on. "I wasn't sure if we would ever really be able to get to know each other, and as the first days passed, I was even more sure of that. But then…" she trailed off while her eyes spaced momentarily, like she was remembering something. A small smile appeared on her lips, her eyes still focused on whatever memory she was lost in. "I started to see beyond the initial appearance. I began to notice little things, and soon enough I started seeing the part of him that is sensitive and…caring," she snuck a quick glance at him, like she wanted to make sure he was listening to this. She didn't need to. Ulquiorra was completely immersed in what she was saying. "It's a part he tries to hide from everybody, I don't know why."

Some students looked surprised, others indifferent to what Orihime said. Most looked skeptical. She didn't seem to notice. "After the two weeks it took me to see Ulquiorra the way I do now, I can say how glad I am about the project I'd originally dreaded." She finished with a content, bright smile. She looked over her shoulder at Ulquiorra, the smile still in place. Saying he was shocked was an understatement, when he saw that Orihime looked, if he wasn't mistaken, she looked… _grateful._

"Very nice." The teacher spoke from his chair. "Mr. Schiffer, would you like to add anything? How do you feel about Ms. Inoue after two weeks getting to know her?"

The teacher's question caught him off guard.

Not the question per se, it was mostly his word choice.

"_How do you feel about Ms. Inoue after two weeks getting to know her?"_

He knew the teacher meant it in the perspective of one classmate and another. But of course, hearing the question he'd been silently mulling over for almost a week, he couldn't help but wonder once again.

How _did _he feel about her?

"I found Orihime quite unusual from the beginning. Something that has not changed." However, it went from being irritating, to intriguing, to endearing.

Ulquiorra fought the urge to beat himself for even thinking something so… So weak.

"Care to elaborate?" The teacher prompted after Ulquiorra didn't say anymore.

Hands in his pants pockets, an well-mastered uninterested look in his eyes, he looked at the teacher. "Not really." he said only.

The man raised an eyebrow, and Ulquiorra figured he wouldn't be getting a spectacular grade for his oral report. He quite honestly didn't give a damn. He had more important things to worry about.

"Very well. You may take your seats."

He and Orihime walked towards their seats in the back of the room. Once seated, he looked at her. She looked at him and gave him a smile like the one she'd had earlier, at the end of her presentation.

He felt something within him stir.

How was it this Woman could cause these reactions in him? With only a smile?

"_How do you feel about Ms. Inoue after two weeks getting to know her?"_

The question repeated itself in his mind. He then realized, he was afraid to know the answer.

x-X-X-x

_Orihime POV_

After the unexpected oral presentation, the day went by pretty smoothly.

Her friends weren't too inquisitive, and they easily believed Orihime's excuse that she had been feeling a little sick since Friday, but she felt great now! It had been a lot easier than she'd expected.

Tatsuki was a different story, though. Ever since the morning, she kept giving Orihime these looks… like she _knew_ something was up. She never said anything though, and Orihime was grateful for it. She wasn't sure if she could lie to her best friend.

Considering things had been so relatively easy, Orihime was surprised to hear herself sigh in relief when the school bell rang, signaling the day was over. The throng of students started filing out of the room, and Orihime went with them, but was stopped by a small hand on her arm. She whirled around and found herself staring into a pair of violet eyes.

"Rukia!" Orihime exclaimed. She hadn't seen the girl who'd recently become her friend all day. Probably because she spent most of the day being glomped by Chizuru, which didn't leave much time to talk with everyone.

Rukia was looking straight at her, with a sort of concerned look that reminded her of the Tatsuki had looked at her. "Orihime." she said, looking like she was trying to find the right words to go on with. "I heard you were sick on Friday."

Orihime nodded. Rukia held her eyes for a long time. "… Are you okay?" she asked, and Orihime was sure she wasn't asking on account of Orihime having been 'sick'. At first she thought about just saying she _was_ okay, but something stopped her.

She looked back at Rukia and said, "I will be." she smiled to reassure her, hoping her words turned out to be true.

Rukia looked a little unsure at first, but then seemed to accept Orihime's response and smiled back.

"Oi, Rukia, are you planning to stay here all night?"

Orihime jumped at the sound of Ichigo's irritated voice. She noticed she and Rukia were the only people left standing in the classroom, aside from Ichigo, who now looked impatiently at Rukia.

"I'll be out when I want to, Idiot!" Rukia yelled back. Then she looked at orihime again, and her face instantly softened. "Just, be careful, okay?"

Orihime nodded. "I will be. Promise." she assured to both Rukia and herself.

The girls turn to look at Ichigo. He was now looking from one to the other, and his brown eyes softened. He looked at Orihime. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Orihime thought of how his concern would have once made her blush and fill her with joy. She was surprised to find now, it only touched her like a good friend's concern would. She smiled happily, and nodded in answer to him. He offered her a rare smile.

"You wanna go get some oce cream with us?" Rukia offered. "We're going to the place right around the corner-"

"Wait, who said anything about ice cream?" Ichigo interrupted.

Rukia ignored him. "So, what do you say?"

Any other day, Orihime would have said yes in the blink of an eye, but today, she remembered Ulquiorra having told her it was safer for her to go straight to her house after school. So she politely declined.

"Okay, another time then." Rukia said. "I'll see you around." She started walking towards Ichigo.

Orihime wondered at how, despite their constant bickering, the two had become practically inseperable in such a short time. And then she thought about herself and Ulquiorra.

Maybe it wasn't impossible to get so close to someone in two weeks.

She waved at Rukia and Ichigo as they started leaving. They waved back shortly before getting into another argument. A moment later, Orihime exited the room as well, and headed home.

x-X-X-x

Perhaps she was being paranoid, but Orihime had felt watched during her walk from school to her house. Every time she'd round a corner, she'd look over her shoulder. Every shadow seemed suspicious. And every stranger could have been following her.

But this wasn't the most unsettling bit of her walk home today, not in the least. It was the prominent absence of her walking companion for the last two weeks.

This was the first time in two weeks that she'd walked the familiar route without Ulquiorra at her side. She was aware of how important he'd become to her, but she didn't know just how used she'd gotten to his presence. And she missed the feeling of him next to her more than she could have ever expected. Because he was usually so silent, sometimes she would even forget momentarily that he wasn't there, and she'd turn to him excitedly ready to tell him about this or that she'd just seen or remembered. Only to feel her face fall when finding herself alone.

After her lonely and paranoid walk home, Orihime found herself in the kitchen. Since she was feeling down, not to mention she was starting to think about what would happen tomorrow, which definitely wasn't good, she decided to do the thing that always cheered her up: cooking.

She went through her kitchen, emptying various ingredients out of their cabinets, setting them all on the counter, ready for an amazing culinary masterpiece. She looked at the organized mess of fruits, vegetables, grains and spices, trying to decide what would be the best way to combine them and make something great. She paced up and down the kitchen, wearing a long apron with a flowery pattern that she saved for special occasions, a big mixing spoon in hand, which she swung lightly as she thought, and her long orange her pulled back by a rubber band. Orihime was ready to make an unforgettable feast.

But no matter how much she thought and paced, her brain just couldn't formulate any ideas for yummy concoctions. She tried and tried, sometimes starting to mix this and that, tasting it, then discarding it, then repeat. The kitchen was a complete mess, and she still had no edible food to speak of. At this rate, not only would she not go through her cheer-up routine, but she would also starve.

One hour later, frustrated and defeated, Orihime landed on the couch at the living room with one loud, long sigh.

It was only then, with the sound of her loud kitchen work gone, that she started to hear things. It wasn't anything loud or alarming, but she thought she heard noises coming from outside her house. She listened in closer, and thought she could hear it coming from her front porch.

Carefully, she started to get up from her couch, and as quietly as possible, tip-toed her way to the front door. As she got closer, she became more convinced that something was going on out there. She made it to the door and reached up to look through the peep hole. At first she couldn't make out anything unusual, nothing seemed out of place. She was about to blame it all on her imagination, when there was suddenly a loud noise like something large being knocked over, immediately followed by a loud feline hiss, and clumsy human footsteps. She jumped and covered her mouth just in time not to let out a scream for being startled. She looked through the peep hole again, and the first thing she saw was a humanlike figure, hurriedly moving on her front porch.

She froze. Fear erupted in her veins. Had she been right? Was she being followed? Maybe Aizen had changed his mind about her and decided it was better just to send someone to kill her.

She took a deep breath and armed herself with bravery. Grabbing the bat Tatsuki had once adviced her to keep for protection in case of an emergency, she hesitantly put her left hand on the doorknob, keeping the bat in her right, and in one swift motion, yanked the door open, ready to strike.

She swung the bat with all her might as soon as she caught a glance of a person before her. Had he not possessed such highly trained reflexes and ducked without a second to spare, he would have probably been knocked down with a bad concussion. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Ulquiorra straightened up hesitantly, holding up one hand in a sign of peace. "Sorry to startle you." he said, his wide green eyes darting from Orihime, still clad in her flowery apron and covered in flower and sugar and other sticky ingredients from her attempted cookout, and the bat still tightly gripped in her hands.

"Ulquiorra it was you!" she exclaimmed, both relieved and happy to see him. She felt her mood instantly improve.

Taking a better look at him, she saw that in one hand, he was holding something black and suspiciously furry.

Her eyes widened with childish glee. "Is that-?"

He saw what she was looking at and held it up for her to see better. It's golden eyes stared back at her.

"Oh where'd you find such a _cute _kitty?" she squealed at the sight of the cat and nearly started bouncing with joy.

Ulquiorra was taken aback by her unexpected reaction. It took him a moment to compose himself. "It's been following me ever since I left school. I thought I'd left it near the river bank, but it somehow found its way here." The hint of annoyance was clear in his voice and the way he looked at the animal in his hands. He held it away from him as it meowed once.

"It's so CUTE!" Orihime beamed. "Can I pet him?" her gray eyes pleaded hopefully.

Ulquiorra held it out with one hand, more than happy to be rid of it. Orihime joyfully took it and immediately started cuddling it.

"…So _you _did that?" Orihime asked now, motioning with her eyes to the turned-over chair that laid on her front porch. She figured that had been the loud noise she'd hear before.

Ulquiorra stuffed his hands back in his pockets and looked away. "The hairball was giving me trouble." he explained. The cat let out a low growl at the sound of being referred to as 'hairball'.

Ulquiorra immediately turned to glare at it, and he could have sworn the cat was smirking at him.

Orihime, of course, was oblivious to all this as she affectionately petted the kitty. "Well, since you're here, do you wanna come in?" She invited Ulquiorra in, a bit unsure.

He nodded and followed her in, taking a look to make sure she closed and locked the door behind him.

"I know you're wondering why I'm here." he said, reading the obvious question in her eyes. "I came to keep an eye on you. I know Aizen has some of his men watching this place, and possibly following you." He paused and looked at her. Orihime wanted to ask why, then, had he come? But wasn't sure how.

Ulquiorra broke the eye contact and chose to look at a picture of her and Sora from a few years ago, while he said, "I didn't trust them. So I came myself just to make sure." -_you were alright._

He didn't say that part, but he didn't have to. Orihime also got the feeling that he wasn't saying something else, like he wasn't supposed to be here, maybe. She didn't ask though.

"You were attempting to cook, I take it?" He changed the topic, observing her appearance. Orihime wished she had at least been clean for Ulquiorra to see her.

She nodded in response. "I didn't make anything though." More like _couldn't._ She continued to pet the kitty, but her statement was followed by a loud an embarrassing growl coming from her stomach.

She turned red and laughed nervously, and Ulquiorra just looked at her, before saying, "You haven't eaten. I'll make something for us both, if I may." His eyes asked her permission.

She was stunned.

Had Ulquiorra Schiffer just offered to _cook_ for her?

She was too stunned to speak, so she just nodded and went to watch some TV, trying to concentrate on cuddling the cat, and not the fact that Ulquiorra was about to cook for her.

x-X-X-x

_Ulquiorra POV_

Finding his way around Orihime's kitchen turned out to be a much more difficult task than he'd expected. But he had promised to cook, and by God as his witness, cook he would damn it!

After a long time trying to maneuver his way around the kitchen, and then trying to mix in all the less-than-common ingredients the Woman possessed and make them into something edible, he finally came out to the living room, where she sat on the couch along with that trashy hairball. He was wearing a long white apron he'd found, with the long sleeves of his shirt rolled up to the elbows, carrying a tray of well-cooked delicacies he was very proud of.

He set the tray down on the carpeted floor, and he and Orihime took their places each on one side of the tray, facing each other while sitting indian style on the floor.

They began to eat. Ulquiorra subtly watched for Orihime's reaction as she took the first bite.

She chewed slowly, appreciatively. Her lips pouted as she formed her opinion. After what felt like an entire minute, she swallowed the mouthful and said, "It could use some red bean paste, but otherwise, its perfect!" she declared like a judge on a cook-off.

Ulquiorra felt himself swell with pride for some unknown reason. He then began eating in comfortable quiet. That is, until the infernal meowing started.

He looked down to the side and saw the golden-eyed cat staring from him to the tray of food, its pink little tongue licking its lips hungrily.

"Oh! Mr. Whiskers is hungry, here-" Orihime said, just as she took a spoonful of good _human_ food and motioned it towards the hairball, like an offering. It wasted no time in turning away from Ulquiorra, lifting its tail high in the air in a patronizing matter, giving Ulquiorra a nice view of its rear end, as it scurried to Orihime and her food.

Stupid trashy hairball.

x-x-x-x

The afternoon turned into night quickly, and he and Orihime now sat against the couch, conversing lightly, with happy full stomachs. The hairball was circling around Orihime's legs, bent at the knees.

Orihime was just letting her laughter fade after some insignificant comment, and Ulquiorra felt the corners of his mouth twitching. When the fit died down, they both sat contently.

"…Are you afraid?" he asked, bringing them out of the temporary silence. Orihime quickly looked at him. "About tomorrow, what could happen…"

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "I thought I was, at first. I guess I am nervous, but not afraid."

Her answer surprised him, to say the least. "You're not afraid?" he repeated, wondering if there was no end to this Woman's surprises. "Why?"

She shrugged once. "I don't know. I mean, earlier today I was feeling nervous and alone, and maybe a little afraid. But then… I'm not sure what happened I just, I feel at peace."

Ulquiorra raised one eyebrow questioningly.

"Maybe its because I feel protected." she confessed.

"By who?"

Her eyes trailed off towards a picture of a little girl with orange hair and a happy smile, which he figured was her at a younger age. In the picture she was with a young man, carrying a smile, not unlike hers, but perhaps softer, with an air of maturity. "It's silly I guess…"

"Who is that man?" Ulquiorra inquired after the man in the picture.

"My brother, Sora." she spoke with such affection and love, Ulquiorra couldn't help but feel some sort of respect for the man he didn't know.

"Where is he?" he inquired, wondering about the fact that he'd never seen any family of hers.

"He passed away."

"I'm sorry." he said, trying to measure just how badly the death of him might have affected her.

She waved her hand around like it didn't matter. "It's okay."

Ulquiorra was quiet before asking, "Was he close to you?"

Orihime smiled, a sad, yet content smile as she remembered him. "He was a great big Brother. The best." She looked down a little sadly, and the Hairball/ Mr. Whiskers nudged her almost comfortingly.

"I'm sure he was." Ulquiorra said, eager now to get off topic.

There was a short pause, which Orihime broke asking, "Have you had anyone really close to you?"

So much for changing the topic.

"Not really." he answered vaguely, but truthfully.

Orihime looked at him with sad eyes, almost pitiful. Like _he_ was the one with the sad past.

"It's nothing to be sad for." he stated.

She looked skeptic, but let it go. Maybe sensing he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"It's getting late." said Orihime after a little while. "Are you staying over?"

She asked it so casually he couldn't help feel shock.

"You should probably stay, its too late for you to get back. You can sleep in my bed-"

Both paused as their cheeks burned and they looked away from each other.

"I- I mean, you can stay there while I take the couch-" she stuttered, trying to cover up her innocent mistake.

"No, you keep your bed. I can sleep on the couch."

"No really, I-"

He raised his hands in a settling matter. "I'll take the couch."

x-x-x-x

_Orihime POV_

She fluffed the pillow on the makeshift bed she set for Ulquiorra on the couch.

"Is this okay?" she called out to Ulquiorra.

"Yes." he answered so unexpectedly close behind her she jumped.

She whirled around and found herself face to face with him, their faces so close their noses nearly touched. "Umm," she blushed from the unexpected closure. The memory of his lips on hers fresh in her mind. "Thanks for the meal." she blurted.

He seemed a little awkward with their position as well. He looked away and said, "No problem."

And then Orihime went on to do something on impulse.

She stood on her tip-toes to kiss his cheeks. Only, just as her lips met with him, he turned to look at her, and her lips landed square on his mouth.

It tasted wonderful.

Like the first time, only, sweeter, somehow. A pleasant warmth went through her, and she reluctantly pulled back, embarrassed, but not regretful at all.

Ulquiorra looked like he was thinking something along the same lines, and his pale cheeks had a hint of pink on them.

"Umm, Goodnight." he muttered, walking to his couch bed.

"Yeah," she said, smiling with her face flushed. "Goodnight."

She went to her room, not bothering to close the door behind her to allow Mr. Whiskers to come in if he wanted.

He did. He climbed into bed with her and cuddled happily into her chest. Orihime went to sleep smiling for once. Completely oblivious to the green eyes who could see past her bedroom door and at her. His eyes glared jealous daggers at the kitten.

'_Damn Hairball._'

-X-x-X-x-X-x-

CUT!

Okay….

IM SORRY SO SO SO SORRY! This took FOREVER to update, I've just had a lot on my mind, but I had to get this up

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	16. Goodbye, for now

_Aizen POV_

Sosuke Aizen sat in his almost throne-like chair, the windows in his office closed to keep the dark ambient he preferred. He was quietly enjoying his tea in peaceful and welcome solitude.

"AIZEN!" the door to his office slammed open so hard, along with the yelling, it made some of his tea to spill over the desk.

"You better have a good explanation for this interruption, _Grimmjow_."

"Sorry, Sir," apologized Tosen, coming in after the blue-haired man and grabbing him by the collar, about to drag him back out. "I tried to stop him, we'll be out of your way now. We realize you are a very busy man and you must enjoy your Sacred Tea Time."

Aizen raised a hand. "It's alright, Kaname. What is so important that couldn't wait, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow paused to give Tosen a triumphant grin, the latter begrudgingly let go of him. Aizen smiled, privately enjoying setting these two at each other's throats. Then Grimmjow turned to him.

"Aizen, what the hell do you mean by sending this _girl _to do such an important job for us?"

"Do not question Sir Aizen's judgement." Tosen said, ignored by everyone.

"You mean the Orihime girl?" Aizen asked.

"Yeah, her! She doesn't know shit about the business! She'll ruin us!" Grimmjow complained. "Why don't you give _me _the job?"

"_Because _Grimmjow," Aizen said, smoothly cutting him off before he could go on whining. "I do not intend for her to succeed in this job."

"Eh, what?" Grimmjow said, dumbfounded. "Then, why-"

"The Orihime girl never knew nearly enough about my business. Ulquiorra did not tell her anything." Aizen said, enjoying the look of Grimmjow's face as it morphed from confusion into absolutely clueless. "You see, the problem with her is not what she knows. The problem is what she is."

"And what is she-"

"A liability." Aizen said quickly, setting down his tea and focusing on explaining. "She has gotten too close to Ulquiorra, and although I trust him to keep his silence about us, his relationship with the girl still makes him vulnerable. She could become his weakness, and I am preventing that."

"Oh." Grimmjow said stupidly. Aizen could almost see his brain cells trying to work things out and understand. "But I don't get how giving her the job will help!"

"It is simple, Grimmjow. This job will deal with one of my closest businessmen. Orihime will be delivering a very valuable weapon to him, a weapon which will ultimately end her life." Aizen explained, satisfied with his plan.

"So…?"

"Yes, Grimmjow," Aizen went on with his infinite patience, taking a quick sip of his tea. "Orihime will be killed with the very weapon she delivers."

Grimmjow stood gaping. "That's…Smart, I guess…" he scratched the back of his head and looked at the floor. "But then, who _is _gonna do it?" he looked up again.

"One of my must trusted allies. Kisuke Urahara."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

_Ulquiorra POV_

Ulquiorra's eyes were already wide open when the first rays of morning light illuminated Orihime's house. He was still lying on the makeshift bed she'd set for him on the green couch of her living room, and the door to her room was still slightly open, allowing him a perfect view of her peaceful sleeping face.

He hadn't gotten much sleep, instead he spent most of the night watching out for anyone who might try to break into the house late at night, he didn't trust Aizen's men to keep from interfering with this situation. It was delicate, he knew, and giving Orihime an important job that many of them wanted, well that wouldn't have exactly set well with any of them.

Ulquiorra shut his eyes momentarily as he sat up. He could practically hear his muscles creaking from the long night on the couch. He set his feet on the floor and rested his elbows on his thighs. He kept his eyes closed as he let his head fall forward, feeling inky black locks of his own hair fall on his face.

_In just a few hours she'll be working on the job, and I can't stop that. I need to think of something, fast._

He let his eyes slowly open, and he glanced at the edge of his 'bed'. There was a small pile of clothes -his black shirt and jeans, along with a pair of socks and shoes-. Then he let his eyes stray to where he'd been trying to avoid looking almost all night.

Through the space of the open door, Ulquiorra saw her. A golden ray of sunlight that came through the window fell directly on her face, but it didn't seem to bother her. Some stray locks of her orange hair fell smoothly over her shoulder and onto her face. Her long shapely arms were bare, and were wrapped around a familiar blotch of black fur.

Ulquiorra glared at the trashy Hairball curled up against her. As if sensing his presence, a golden eye suddenly opened, and the Hairball raised its head to look at him. Ulquiorra watched as it uncurled itself from Orihime's grasp and stood on its paws, black tail sinuously waving back and forth, just before it hissed at him, making Ulquiorra's eyes widen momentarily, then turned around and curled up against Orihime once more. But this time, the motion seemed to alert her and Orihime jumped up yelling "_Don't eat last month's wasabi!" _

Hairball meowed in surprise and jumped out of bed, darting out of the open door and past Ulquiorra in a black blur.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime with his eyebrows drawn down in confusion. What had she just…?

Then Orihime seemed to get a hold of herself and look out the door, straight at Ulquiorra's confused face.

"Oh, err, good morning, Ulquiorra!" she smiled awkwardly. Ulquiorra tried not to look embarrassed as Orihime got out of bed and her nightgown rode up on over her thigh, exposing more of her creamy smooth skin than he was used to seeing. He forced himself to look away, swallowing hard.

He decided to distract himself by getting up from the couch and disentangling himself from the mess of blankets, ignoring the fact that he himself wasn't wearing anything more than a black pair of boxer shorts.

He went to gather his clothes, and as he turned around he caught Orihime standing by the bathroom door at the end of the hall, glancing his way. It took him a moment to realize her eyes were locked on the pale skin over his stomach, were she could see his subtle, but well formed abs. As soon as she realized she was caught, she looked away insanely fast and locked herself in the bathroom. Ulquiorra allowed the corner of his mouth to lift upwards in a makeshift smile.

About twenty minutes later they were both dressed and ready for the day. Orihime made herself a quick sandwich, which Ulquiorra adviced her to eat on the way to Aizen's restaurant, since they were already a few minutes behind schedule.

They walked side by side, Ulquiorra carefully watching out for any of the familiar faces of the Karakura High School; they had to be careful not to be spotted by anyone. Orihime, meanwhile, enjoyed her sandwich.

"Do ywou wan sum?"

"What?" Ulquiorra turned to look at Orihime, who was just now swallowing a mouthful of sandwich.

"Do you want some?" she offered again, understandably this time. She held her half-eaten sandwich out to him. A few crumbles decorated the corners of her mouth comically.

Ulquiorra thought of Orihime's preference in odd foods, when she suddenly said, "Its not as good as it would usually be, we left in such a hurry I had no time to add some of my special bean paste, but I guess its still edible." she lamented, unaware of Ulquiorra's relief as he accepted the sandwich.

He took it in his hands and saw the half-moons that were left by her bite marks. Normally he'd be disgusted to even try someone's half-eaten food, full of all their trashy saliva and germs and whatever other repulsive contents of their mouth were left, but somehow he found that he didn't mind taking a bite of Orihime's sandwich.

He looked down as he offered back the sandwich, his cheeks bulging from the amount of food he was chewing. He saw that the Woman was biting her lip, holding in laughter, he realized.

He looked at her questioningly. "Wwooat?" he asked, his mouth full.

At this she could no longer suppress her laughter and she burst out in a fit of giggles.

He managed to swallow the big mouthful and ask again, "What is so comical, Woman?" he demanded.

Orihime was doubled over and clutching her stomach now, laughing.

"What _is_ it?" he glared now.

"It's- it's just-" she broke off again in one more wave of hysteria. "I'm sorry, Ulquiorra," she said, recovering now as she wiped a small tear of the corner of her eye. "I'd just never seen you eat like that and you looked so…" she trailed off and laughed once more.

"_So?" _he pressed for an answer.

"So funny and cute!" she burst out, hunching over in laughter again.

Ulquiorra huffed. _Funny and cute? _Those were hardly the words he'd prefer to describe himself. He'd rather have…_Dark _and _mysterious, _something more…_threatening. _But _cute?_

"_You're _one to talk." He glanced at her annoyed. "With all those crumbs on your chin. Has no one ever taught you to eat properly?" he said cuttingly, and for a moment Orihime's face fell, and he feared he'd been to harsh.

But then she just started wiping away furiously at her chin. "There!" she said, pointing to her newly cleaned chin.

Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow and looked at her skeptically with one hand in his jean's pocket. "You missed some…" he said. She looked down trying to see.

"_Where?"_

"Right…" he used the hand that wasn't in his pocket raised it to wipe away the few stray crumbs clinging to the corner of her mouth with his thumb. Once they were gone, instead of taking his hand back, he used he let his thumb stray towards her bottom lip. He traced the length of it, enjoying the soft feel of her full lips. They were as pink and smooth as a rose's petal. "…there." he finished saying, his voice coming out low and soft as a whisper.

He lifted his gaze from her rosy lips to her gray eyes. They looked back at him wide and shining. Those very eyes that he couldn't get out of his mind. Those eyes that he felt stare straight into the soul he'd thought he'd lost.

With the back of his fingers, he caressed the smooth line of her jaw. He went lower until his fingers touched her neck. He could feel her pulse under his fingertips. Her eyes never left his. Neither spoke. Ulquiorra moved his hand to the nape of Orihime's neck. Their faces inched closer ever so slightly. Then…

"_Meow!" _

I an instant, that infernal Hairball meowed loudly and jumped at Orihime, who expertly caught it in her arms saying, "Mr. Whiskers!" Completely breaking the moment.

If looks could kill, that cat would have lost all nine lives at that moment. Orihime fed the Hairball the rest of the sandwich, not even questioning that the thing had been following them all this time. Ulquiorra scowled the rest of the way, occasionally glancing sideways at Orihime, too busy now with the Hairball to pay him any attention.

_Damn Hairball. _he cursed for the hundredth time in the last twenty-four hours.

XxxXxXxxXxXxXx

_Orihime POV_

The walk to the restaurant were Orihime celebrated her Brother's birthday every year was unexpectedly pleasant. Aside from the, err…incident with Ulquiorra, she felt comfortable. She was grateful for Mr. Whisker's presence. Cradling him in her arms on the way and stroking his black fur was really calming. She didn't really get uneasy until she and Ulquiorra turned the corner to the restaurant. She took in a sharp breath when she saw the seemingly normal business lined up on the street with all the other stores.

Ulquiorra noticed this little moment and looked at her. Orihime could see it in his face as he searched for something to say, for the words that would calm her and reassure her.

Taking pity on him, she offered a grateful smile. That was good enough for both of them.

Soon enough, they were standing before the door to the restaurant.

"You should probably leave the Hairball." Ulquiorra said hesitantly.

"Wha-? Oh, Mr. Whiskers?"

"Mr. Aizen's not too fond of cats."

"Oh, I see." Orihime said, looking down at Mr. Whiskers. He looked back at her with wide golden eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Whiskers."

He meowed once, pleadingly. Orihime nuzzled him closer in a hug.

Ulquiorra stood awkwardly beside them, one hand in his pocket, looking away as he waited for them to finish.

"I'll come get you later Mr. Whiskers." she promised, gently setting down the kitty on the curb.

"_Meow!"_

"Yeah, I know I'll miss you too." she stroked his fur once more, unaware of how Ulquiorra rolled his eyes yet again. "Alright, I'm ready." she said, straightening up.

Ulquiorra nodded. He stepped forward first, opening the door and making the bells on top jingle, announcing their arrival. He held the door open for Orihime to pass through in an unexpected gesture of chivalry.

She walked past him and looked back just in time to see Ulquiorra close the door on Mr. Whisker's face. He got up on its hind paws and leaned against the crystal door. Ulquiorra spun her around by the arm before she could linger there any longer.

"Come." he told her. "The sooner this is over with, the better."

Orihime nodded, already starting to feel the oppressive air that always surrounded Aizen. Ulquiorra and her walked past all the set tables in the dim-lit restaurant, still not open to the public, and to the back door. Before Ulquiorra could open it, someone else threw it open. A startling flash of blue hair greeted them, and Orihime recognized the man at once.

"Ulquiorra," Grimmjow said. Orihime unconsciously took a step back behind Ulquiorra. She still remembered the last time she'd met Grimmjow. "I see you're still dragging that girl along. She your lady friend or something?" He teased.

Ulquiorra maintained a neutral face, though Orihime noticed him angle his body ever so slightly to shield back hers. "Have you finished wasting our time, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow snarled, glaring daggers at Ulquiorra before pushing his way past them. A moment later Orihime heard the jingle that announced the door opening, then the door slamming loudly back shut, and Grimmjow was gone. She and Ulquiorra went on through the back door, into the artificially lit hallway that led to the room were Orihime had been kept during her last stay here, and to Aizen's office, at the end of the hallway.

A man was standing at the door. He had dark skin and his hair was in long dreads. He wore an orange scarf, despite the warm temperature in the room, and a white buttoned-up jacket. The thing that she noticed most was, however, the fact that he wore dark sunglasses indoors. He seemed to be staring ahead at nothing in particular, not even turning to look at her and Ulquiorra when they stopped in front of him.

"Tosen." Ulquiorra said.

"Ulquiorra." The man named Tosen acknowledged him. The man obviously held himself in a way that let Orihime know he had some sort of importance. He looked down at Orihime, not truly looking at her, and it was then that she realized, this man was blind.

"Aizen is expecting us." Ulquiorra said, unfazed.

Tosen nodded once and opened the door for them, stepping aside to let them through. Once inside, Tosen closed the door behind them, and Ulquiorra and Orihime were alone with Aizen.

"Good morning Miss Orihime, Ulquiorra." Aizen greeted them politely from his chair. "Would you like some tea?"

Orihime shook her head. Hearing Aizen's offer, she was suddenly reminded of the story of "Alice in Wonderland", when Alice meets the Mad Hatter at a Tea Party.

"…_Woman are you listening?"_

"Huh, what?"

Ulquiorra let out a sigh. "Mister Aizen was just about to explain to you what you are to deliver today."

"Oh, mmhm. I'm listening."

Aizen looked at her curiously for a moment, but then went on. "Right, Miss Orihime, you understand that the job you will be conducting for me today consists of making a very important delivery."

She nodded once and let him go on.

"_This _is what you will be delivering." Aizen motioned to medium-sized aluminum briefcase.

"What's in it?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity. Ulquiorra flashed her a look of warning.

"Something important." Aizen said calmly. It didn't look like he was planning to expand on that. "You are taking this to a good associate and customer of mine. His name is Kisuke Urahara."

Orihime took that in. Kisuke Urahara. She ran the name over and over in her head, committing it to memory.

"He owns a shop here in Tokyo. You will be escorted by some of my men. They will make sure nothing goes…wrong." Orihime got the feeling that what he really meant was in case she decided to run away. "You will take the subway at the nearest station. It will make four stops before you get down. From there, it is only a few blocks to Urahara's shop. The men with you will be able to guide you to it."

Orihime gave one curt nod. "I understand." she said determinedly.

"Good girl." Aizen smiled. "Now, the men that will escort you are waiting right outside the restaurant. When you are ready." he said, Orihime understood this as her dismissal signal. But something was wrong…

"Sir, wait one moment. Wasn't I supposed to be her escort?" Ulquiorra voiced her own concern.

Aizen had his eyes closed as he drank his tea. He opened one eye to look at Ulquiorra. When Ulquiorra's gaze didn't waver, Aizen put down the drink and looked back at him. "Oh? Yes, I remember. That was the original plan but I've decided you are better suited for different job."

Ulquiorra looked taken aback.

"Don't worry. Miss Orihime will be well-taken care of in the meantime." Aizen said, and Orihime felt a bead of sweat roll down her face as she caught a gleam of…_something_… in Aizen's easy polite demeanor.

Ulquiorra looked like he wanted to protest for a moment, but then he just relaxed back. "Yes, Sir." he said formally, then gave a small bow and motioned for Orihime to follow him as he exited. She quickly grabbed the briefcase from Aizen's desk and followed.

They left the office in a hurry, Orihime barely caught a glimpse of Tosen going inside as they left. "Ulquiorra," she called, hurrying after him, he was already halfway through the door that led back into the currently unused restaurant. The door closed behind him and Orihime went through an instant later, coming just in time to see Ulquiorra spin on his heel and face her.

She stopped a few inches away from him. "This isn't how it was supposed to be." Ulquiorra was scowling. He cursed under his breath. "Aizen's got something up his sleeve. He wouldn't have kept me here otherwise."

"But what can we do?"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and hung his head. "I don't know."

Orihime felt her face fall. She and Ulquiorra stood in silence for a moment.

"They're expecting you." Ulquiorra broke the quiet.

Orihime took a deep breath. "…Yeah…" For the first time, Orihime was filled with a wave of nostalgia. The kind you got when saying goodbye to someone important. She was suddenly filled with a notion that this could very well be the last time she and Ulquiorra were together. I f anything went wrong…

She looked up at him and found his eyes. In the middle of the empty restaurant, it was for a moment like they were really the only two people in the world. Looking into his emerald orbs, she saw that he too knew the possibility that this separation could be permanent.

Orihime waited for him to say something. A farewell or something… But he was silent as ever. She knew if she didn't break herself away from his eyes now, she'd never be able to leave. So she let her eyes fall to the ground as she pushed her way past him and to the crystal door. She pulled it open, the jingle of the bells alerting the two people that she figured were her escorts of her presence. They both looked up at her and Orihime was surprised at what she saw. She'd been expecting two big, burly men. Maybe someone like Grimmjow.

Instead she saw a relatively slim, laidback-looking man with wavy brown hair and some stubble on his chin. The other one wasn't even a man, it was a woman. A shapely, athletic-looking woman with blond hair falling over her shoulders in slender pigtails. She had sun-browned skin and startling teal eyes.

Orihime was about to let the crystal door fall shut behind her, when she felt someone grasp her arm. She looked back, only mildly surprised to find Ulquiorra looking back at her. He didn't let go of her arm. His lips were slightly parted, eyes wide, the way he looked when he was looking for the right thing to say.

Orihime offered him a half smile. "I'll see you later, Ulquiorra."

He looked at her for a moment, then with his grip on her arm pulled her in close, startling her. He put his lips to her ear, letting his face touch hers in the process. His breath was warm against her ear.

"_I will come get you." _he whispered in her ear, inaudibly to the others. He lingered there for a second longer than necessary, then pulled back and looked back at her.

She was surprised still, not only from his sudden action, but also from his words. It was the first time she heard such reassuring words coming from him. And it was all the resolve she needed.

"…Are we ready to leave now?" Asked the brown-haired man after loudly clearing his throat.

Orihime looked over her shoulder at the pair that waited for her. "Yeah, ready to go." she said. They looked satisfied and turned, ready to leave.

Orihime, her arm still in Ulquiorra's grasp, looked back once more.

The clear morning light illuminated his face. She tried to memorize each feature, just in case. His inky black hair, falling sometimes at the sides of his face and down his neck, his smooth, pale skin, perfectly arched black eyebrows, slender lips, and of course, his piercing green eyes.

"Hey, girl," The man called from a few feet away now. "You coming?"

Orihime let her gaze linger a little longer. Ulquiorra gave her arm a little squeeze before loosening up his grip. She took a couple of steps backwards, towards her escorts, not taking her eyes of Ulquiorra yet. As she stepped backwards, his hand remained loosely around her arm as it slid from his grasp. Slowly, down the elbow, forearm and wrist, until finally, he was holding her hand in his. For just an instant, much too short, she felt their hands connecting. Then she continued to walk back, her hand sliding from his, their fingertips brushing, his fingers curving slightly in a weak attempt to keep her hand only a little longer. But finally, her arm outstretched, her fingers slid away reluctantly, until the contact broke.

Her eyes lingered on his only a little after their hands separated, then she turned around, taking a deep breath.

This was goodbye. For now.

XxXXxXxXxXxXxXxX

A/N: Wow I was late with this AGAIN! Ugh, how do you guy's bear with me? And I complain that I've been loosing readers, no wonder! I'm so slow!

Well, since the story is coming to its last few chapters, I think I should have a goal to at least finish these with a bit more speed! (at least I'll try not to let a month go by between updates hehe)

So yeah, here we go! To all my awesometastic reviewers:

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THANK YOU A THOUSAND HUNDRED MILLION TIMES!

May all your wishes and fangirl fantasies come true! ;D

Seriously guys, thanks for all the support! : )

Hope to see you next chap!

So that's all for now, thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review (pretty please^^) Til next time!


	17. Not in Time

_Orihime let her gaze linger a little longer. _

_Ulquiorra gave her arm a little squeeze before loosening up his grip. She took a couple of steps backwards, towards her escorts, not taking her eyes of Ulquiorra yet. As she stepped backwards, his hand remained loosely around her arm as it slid from his grasp. Slowly, down the elbow, forearm and wrist, until finally, he was holding her hand in his. For just an instant, much too short, she felt their hands connecting. Then she continued to walk back, her hand sliding from his, their fingertips brushing, his fingers curving slightly in a weak attempt to keep her hand only a little longer. But finally, her arm outstretched, her fingers slid away reluctantly, until the contact broke._

_Her eyes lingered on his only a little after their hands separated, then she turned around, taking a deep breath._

_This was goodbye. For now._

A pair of intelligent golden eyes watched the scene unfold from a hidden spot behind a pair of trashcans outside Aizen's restaurant. Unnoticed by anyone, the small feline snuck out from its spot and followed the small group…

Orihime turned her eyes away, not wanting to prolong the bitter moment anymore, until she heard the chiming of the bells that indicated someone going back into the restaurant. She knew without needing to look Ulquiorra had gone inside and was out of sight.

"Yo girl," The brown-haired man that was supposed to be his escort called. "Here." he said, tossing something black at her.

She caught it from reflex barely in time, and upon closer inspection realized it was a black bag. She looked up and her questioning eyes met the man's stormy-gray orbs.

"You can put the briefcase in there. Easier to carry around." he explained.

"Oh." she nodded and obediently put the aluminum case inside the black bag, then proceeded to sling it over her shoulder, safely across her chest. The briefcase hadn't been to terribly heavy in the first place, but now in the bag slung across her shoulder, it was more comfortable to carry around.

The man nodded approvingly. "My name's Stark," he introduced himself. "This is Tia Harribel." he said motioning to the blonde beside him.

She stared at Orihime with her arms crossed below her well-endowed chest and an icy teal gaze. She nodded in acknowledgement.

"Tia doesn't say much." The man, Stark shrugged.

"Pleasure to meet you." Orihime said, not able to resist being polite at this man's casual manner.

"Likewise." he said, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly upwards. "Miss…?"

"Orihime. Orihime Inoue." she found it surprisingly easy to talk with this man, and was glad that he had been sent as her escort instead of someone like Grimmjow. Though she still wished Ulquiorra had been here.

"Alright, Orihime. Let's get going so we can be back for my noon nap." Stark said, turning and starting to walk. Harribel did the same and Orihime quickly followed, her hands tightly gripping the dark strap slung across her chest, holding the briefcase.

They took on a quick pace, but not too fast either. Orihime figured they didn't want to attract attention by going around running. During the walk, Stark would make the occasional comment about things like the weather or the people or businesses they passed on the way. Or alternately he would complain about being up so early in the morning. Harribel would usually just roll her eyes in response, and sometimes she would grace him with a short, to-the-point answer.

Orihime didn't pay much attention. Her mind was elsewhere. She would remember Tatsuki and Chizuru and Ryo and Michiru and wonder if they were talking about how she and Ulquiorra had been absent today as well, possibly making implications about that. Chizuru would probably start crying and be pissed at the suggestion of something going on between her and Ulquiorra, then Tatsuki would start beating her up for having lecherous thoughts about Orihime.

She almost laughed as she pictured it all too well.

Then her mind drifted to her other group of friends. Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu and Chad. What would they be doing today? Uryu and Ichigo would probably be getting competitive about something, and pretty soon they'd be arguing. Then Rukia would try to intervene and she'd most likely end up yelling insults back and forward with Ichigo. Chad would be quietly watching them.

Another smile _almost _crept to her face.

Would she ever go back to school to see her friends be themselves again?

She knew today was just supposed to be a delivery, nothing too big should go on. But still, something felt wrong. Why would someone like Aizen risk someone inexperienced like her to do an important job? It didn't make any sense… She remembered the day she'd skipped school and followed Ulquiorra to the restaurant; Aizen had practically kidnapped her until the next day.

Orihime knew he was capable of much more. Why else would Ulquiorra be as trapped as he was working for the man? Orihime had a very bad feeling that something else was going on…

"_I will come get you."_

Ulquiorra's words rang in her mind almost reassuringly. Orihime suddenly felt less alone.

"Here we are." Stark announced, stopping before the descending stairs leading to the subway station below.

"Ladies first." he said, bowing in a teasing manner as he motioned for Harribel to go first.

She looked at him stonily, but went ahead none-the-less.

Stark didn't move and looked at Orihime expectantly, so she guessed it meant it was her turn to go. She went right after Harribel and Stark after them.

A few minutes later, the three of them were sitting in the relatively empty subway train.

Orihime looked out the window at the dark blur outside, her mind at this point gone blank as she unconsciously clutched the briefcase inside the back closer to herself. She wasn't thinking about her friends or school or Ulquiorra anymore. She wasn't even thinking about Aizen and the job, or her fear.

She was just…blank. It was like her brain had finally shut down from all that was happening.

"So, Orihime,"

She snapped away from the window, surprised to be addressed so conversationally by Stark. She looked across from her, where Stark and Harribel sat- an empty seat between them, probably by Harribel's preference.

"What do you usually do, you know, when you're not working for an illegal organization and everything- Oof!" he was cut off as the air left him when Harribel elbowed him on the side-hard.

Harribel's eyes quickly scanned the wagon they were in; no one had even looked up after Stark spoke. "Imbecile." she scolded him. "It's a wonder you haven't gotten Aizen arrested yet." she hissed, not loud enough to be overheard by the other passengers near them.

"How long have you two been working together?" The question just left Orihime's lips before she even had time to think about it. Just seeing Stark and Harribel's antics…they gave her a hollow ache of nostalgia.

Stark and Harribel both looked at her with awestruck expressions. Orihime couldn't have been more surprised when Harribel was the one to answer her.

"Ten years." she said neutrally.

"Really, ten years?" Stark repeated, scratching his head and slumping back in his seat in thought. "I didn't know it had been that long."

"Probably because you've spent most of that time sleeping." Harribel suggested.

Orihime expected Stark to reply with a comeback, but instead he seemed to consider it. Then he just shrugged and said, "I guess you're right."

Orihime thought they would lapse back into silence then. Instead, Stark spoke up again.

"You never answered, Orihime. What would you be doing now if you weren't…" he trailed off momentarily to glance at Harribel before saying the rest. "Busy." he finished quickly.

"Oh." Orihime responded. "Well, I'd just be in school."

"Hmm. I never really liked school." Stark said thoughtfully. "It was so boring, I would always fall asleep in class."

"Hmph." Harribel muttered at that, rolling her eyes. Stark didn't pay it any mind.

He put a hand to his chin and his stormy eyes seemed to drift off in some memory. "You know, I had this one creepy teacher. Barrah…No, Barragan his name was. He looked like an old mummy."

Orihime stared for a moment. Why was he being so…nice? This guy was willingly making small talk with her, and he seemed so casual about it too!

Orihime stayed quiet after that. Stark went on talking about his days in High School for a little longer, Harribel ignoring him for the most part. Then finally they fell into silence as they neared their destination.

Harribel was the first to stand as the subway's speed began to decrease, while an electronic voice announced the name of the place where they would be stopping.

"This is our stop." Harribel said, looking at Orihime expectantly.

She didn't need to be told twice, and soon enough, the motion stopped.

Harribel, Stark and Orihime exited the subway, casually blending into the crowd of people heading to their respective workplaces, none of them sparing the trio a second glance.

Orihime followed the other two without questioning them, feeling the weight of the briefcase with every step. She hoped she would just be able to deliver it and be done with this and never have to see Aizen ever again.

A couple of streets and turns later, Stark and Harribel came to a halt.

"This is it." Star said, looking at the place before him.

Orihime was, surprised, to say the least.

She had been expecting some big fancy building, something impressive and important-looking, considering everything.

Instead she stood before a place that just looked… Erm, unimpressive.

It was just a small abandoned-looking shop squished in between a couple of buildings. Had this not been where Harribel and Stark had stopped and the place they were staring at, Orihime would have completely overlooked the place. A sign hung from the front door of the place that read in handwritten letters: "Urahara Shop."

"Alright, well, let's get this over with." Stark said, stepping forward. "I wanna get home before Lylinette burns something…Again."

-x-X-x-X-x-X-x

_Ulquiorra POV_

He kept his expression neutral, uninterested; the way only years of experience could perfect.

He was standing in the middle of Aizen's office, his green eyes fixed on the man who was currently sitting in his chair while calmly sipping his tea. For a second, Ulquiorra wondered what exactly was in that tea that made Aizen so addicted to the damned drink…

"Mr. Aizen-"

"Ulquiorra," Aizen looked up at him and set the tea down on the desk. "It's just the two of that. You may call me Father. Or Dad, if you prefer." he added thoughtfully.

"Mr. Aizen is fine." Ulquiorra replied coldly.

Aizen merely chuckled. "As you prefer, my son."

Ulquiorra felt himself inwardly recoil in response to Aizen calling him 'son'. Aizen had never been the typical father figure one could look up to, but having no one else, Ulquiorra had followed him without question none-the-less. Though Aizen was not biologically Ulquiorra's parent, he had been the only 'family' Ulquiorra had known.

He had been taught by Aizen in the business of the black market, the art of manipulation and blackmail. He was expected to take over Aizen's business one day. And Ulquiorra had never questioned any of this, not once. Why would he? He had never been taught any different, he didn't know any other way to live, and didn't care to hear of it either.

It wasn't until two weeks ago that he first began to question his own lifestyle.

It was when he met _her_.

He hadn't plan on making new friends or even getting to know anyone when he first entered Karakura High, after Aizen bought the Kyoka Suigetsu, the restaurant in Karakura Town and they moved to this place…

_"Hi there! I noticed you sitting here all by yourself and with no food, and I figured no one can go through lunch without food! Luckily, I always bring enough food to share with anyone in need! You should come eat with me and my friends! Uryu and Chad don't say much, but they're really nice! And Keigo's really energetic. You'll get used to that-" she went on in a perky voice and didn't notice his grim expression until he said,_

_"I think it best for you to leave me be, woman. I do not associate with trash." He said in his usual emotionless voice._

_The woman's face fell, and he could see she was trying hard not to cry._

_He looked away, completely ignoring the woman, figuring that would be the last time they crossed words._

_How wrong he was._

They hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot. Ulquiorra would have never thought they would ever speak again, but then;

_"You will be conducting a little experiment with a partner, where you will spend the next two weeks with he or she. I want you to eat lunch together, talk on the phone, chat online, go over to each other's houses, you know, hang out. The tricky part is, you have to do all this with a person you hardly know, so there won't be any friends using this project as an excuse to hang out."_

_Everyone looked wary, and it was easy to know what they were thinking: 'Not him/ her'. Whoever he or she was, nobody wanted to be paired up and be forced to spend every minute with someone they pointedly disliked. _

_Ulquiorra simply rolled his eyes and waited to hear which of these trashy students would be paired up with him._

_Suddenly feeling someone's eyes on him, Ulquiorra turned and his cold eyes met her gray orbs. Caught staring, the woman let out a tiny gasp and looked away so fast her neck might have snapped. _

_Ulquiorra felt a twinge of amusement and some curiosity at her reaction, but gave it no more thought._

_"And remember," the teacher went on. "try to use this as an opportunity to get to know someone, you might make a new friend." He smiled. "And if that doesn't motivate you, then just know that this will be worth about half your final grade."_

_On that note, he started reading out names in pairs, and pretty soon, groans were heard throughout the classroom. The teacher ignored them and went on reading names…_

_"Inoue and Schiffer__."_

_Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly, and he felt a fleeting spark of some emotion…Surprise? Or something else…? _

_He quickly ignored the sudden feeling and grunted slightly, brushing it off. He remembered perfectly how his first meeting with the Woman had gone. These would be a long two weeks…_

Ulquiorra could have chuckled at his luck. Did fate itself lump them together?

Now, thanks to him, Orihime had been dragged into a terrible mess.

Before his time with Orihime, Ulquiorra never questioned his life. But after knowing her, as unwilling as he had been to get close to her, it had been impossible to keep his distance. And of course, the consequences were not only disastrous for her, but now here he was; not only questioning all he'd ever known, but also…

On the verge of turning his back on it.

It was a difficult decision. He may have had no real love for his makeshift family, but it _was_ his family. And he was about to betray them all for a woman he had known for barely more than two weeks.

How could that be?

This woman he had deemed so insignificant at first! Now because of her…

"Why am I here?" Ulquiorra asked, trying not to sound like anything other than his indifferent self.

"I think you already know the answer to that, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I am reminding you, who your family is." Aizen said. There was a pause, and then he asked, "How important is that girl to you?"

Ulquiorra did not need to ask who Aizen was referring to. He didn't make any move to reply.

"Is she important enough to turn your back on your life?" Aizen asked, as if reading Ulquiorra's mind, though he was careful not to show any reaction to his words. "On your family?" Aizen went on. "On _me?_"

Yes, this was Ulquiorra's life. Orihime was just a girl he had been forced to interact with for the past two weeks for a school grade.

"Hmm?" Aizen pushed for him to respond.

And just like that, Ulquiorra knew the answer.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

_Orihime POV_

Orihime stood inside the Urahara Shop now. The inside of the store was as unimpressive as the exterior; shelves and stacks filled with everything from books to candy and toys and strange object that she had no idea what they could possibly work for. Judging by the layers of dust and the occasional spider web, Orihime figured this place didn't get a lot of customers.

Before her stood a very tall man with sun-darkened skin. His hair brushed back in slender braids, and he wore dark sunglasses for no apparent reason. He was dressed in a tight-fitting white t-shirt and a dark green apron over it. He was a visibly well-built man, his arm's rather noticeable muscles bulging as he carried a seemingly heavy box.

"The Boss is in the back, he will meet with you shortly." the man informed her and her 'escorts', Stark and Harribel, who stood on either side of her.

Stark nodded and the man continued towards the back of the store, setting the box down among a pile of other boxes. Then he disappeared into the back of the store, leaving Orihime alone with Stark and Harribel.

She was starting to feel nervous.

What would this man be like? Would he be like Aizen? With his fake kind smile and polite tone? Or maybe more like Gin; just plain creepy?

Her hands fidgeted anxiously with the shoulder strap of her bag as she waited to meet this man.

"Come in." A cryptic voice finally called from behind the backdoor.

Orihime looked nervously up at Stark.

He nodded once, signaling for her to go. Orihime's hands tightened around the strap and she bit her lip, taking a deep breath as she started to step forth.

She took one look back, not at all surprised to see Stark and Harribel weren't coming with her. Harribel was standing with her arms crossed, her face not betraying any emotion. Stark was looking at her with a serious expression that seemed unbefitting for him. When he caught her eye though, his mouth pulled up slightly in an attempted smile.

She swallowed and turned away, making her way to the backroom were she would presumably meet the mysterious Urahara.

The backdoor wasn't closed, only pressed lightly against the frame. Orihime pushed it open with a creak, and tentatively stepped inside.

She found herself in a small makeshift office, much like the one Aizen had in the back of his restaurant, except nothing like that at all.

Urahara's wasn't dark like Aizen's, and instead of Aizen's impeccably clean and organizec space, this was a tiny little cluttered room with a desk in the center of it, which took up most of the space on its own.

Dust settled over the desk and most of the objects strewn around with no seeming pattern. Behind the desk was a black chair with its back facing Orihime. She could just make out the top of what she assumed was a hat, poking out over the back of the chair. She figured there was someone sitting in the chair, but couldn't see anything past the green and white bits of the hat.

"U-um, hello?" she called nervously, taking a step forward.

"Close the door behind you, would ya?" the same cryptic voice from earlier asked from behind the desk.

Orihime quickly nodded, though he wouldn't be able to see her, and scrambled to shut the door.

When she turned back, she saw the char spin in a half circle -so it was a rotating chair, then- and now instead of the back of the chair, she was faced with a man.

He had his elbows on the arms of the chair and his hands in front of him, his fingertips touching. From what he could see, he was wearing a very old-fashioned green kimono, and a dirty looking striped green and white hat that tipped forward over his shaggy blond hair, creating a shadow over his eyes, adding to the man's mysterious air.

"I am Kisuke Urahara." he said, Orihime thought he was looking at her but it was impossible to tell for sure as his eyes were still hidden in the shadow of his hat. "You may call me Mr. Urahara."

Then he raised his face, letting the shadow over his eyes retreat, allowing Orihime a look at a pair of clever gray eyes.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the man produced a white fan, which he flipped open and used to cover the lower half of his face. From behind his fan he suddenly exclaimed, "Or you may refer to me as Mr. Sexy Shopkeeper! I think it seems very fitting, don't you?" he flipped his fan closed and leaned forward to look at Orihime expectantly, his eyes bright.

"…Eh…" she sweatdropped.

"Hmm." he responded, leaning back in his chair again. He put up his feet and crossed them on top of his desk while he reclined back in his chair, bringing up his closed fan to his chin in thought. "Too much, then? Yeah, I was going for something sexy yet mysterious at the same time. Tessai suggested '_The Boss'_, but I thought that sounded too obvious and tacky. What do you think?"

Orihime gaped openly.

She'd had so many ideas of what this man could have possibly been like, but this was _nothing_ like anything she had imagined.

"Ah, that's okay." he said when she didn't say anything. "I'll come up with something later." he flipped his fan open yet again and started fanning himself as he casually asked Orihime, "So, Aizen sent you, right?"

"…Mmhm." she nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of her bag double on her.

"I understand you have something important to deliver." his eyes seemed to glint as he looked at her.

"Y-yes." she stuttered.

"Alright, but why don't we get to that later." he started, and he motioned to a folding chair leaning back on the left wall. "Why don't you have a seat and we'll have a little talk first?" he asked in what she found to be a genuinely pleasant manner altogether different from Aizen's.

Still, Orihime wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. "Actually," she started to protest but was cut off.

"Oh, come on!" Mr. Urahara smiled almost mischievously at her. "We'll have some tea and crackers! URURU!" he called loudly. "Come on, have a seat with me. What's your name?"

"Orihime Inoue." she answered, and immediately started to say. "B-but really! Why don't I just give you the bag so-"

"Nonsense!" he interrupted again. Just then the door opened behind Orihime, showing a small shy-looking girl with black hair in pigtails, a white t-shirt and a pink skirt. She was carrying a tray with a pair teakettle and two full cups, and a small platter of square crackers.

"Here you go, Mr. Urahara." the girl said quietly as she went past Orihime and set the tray down on Mr. Urahara's desk.

Urahara in turn patted the girl's head in an affectionate way. "Thanks, Ururu." he smiled at her and the girl bowed, then left, shutting the door behind her.

"Come on." Urahara cooed with a smile as he lifted one of the crackers and waved it around at Orihime. "You know you want to." he sang.

Noticing he wasn't about to take no for an answer, Orihime shrugged and said, "Well, okay." She took the chair and unfolded it, setting it on the floor across from Urahara and sitting down.

"There ya go." Urahara smiled and offered her the plate of crackers. Orihime hesitantly took one and started chewing on it.

"So, Orihime," Mr. Urahara started. "How long have you known Aizen?" his tone and face seemed to darken with the question, and Orihime gulped down her cracker and looked up at him.

He looked serious now.

"Umm," Orihime started warily. "A week, more or less." she estimated, thinking back to the first time she saw him on the day she went to his restaurant for Sora's birthday.

"Right." Urahara nodded to himself. "And how much do you know about him and his business?"

Orihime started to get more and more nervous with the questions. Where was he going with all this? Was it some sort of trick? What was she supposed to do?

"Not much." she finally answered, not knowing what else to do. "He owns the Kyoka Suigetsu, the restaurant in Karakura Town…" And what? And what? And he ran an illegal business trading in the black market and selling to other important people products that weren't his own?

She was sure this man already knew all that. What was the purpose of these questions?

Urahara nodded again. "I see." He was looking away, but then he settled his gaze back on Orihime. "You don't look like someone who would get involved in a business like this. Just how did Aizen get his hands on you?"

"Um, I…he…Why are you asking me all this?" she finally asked.

Mr. Urahara opened his mouth but then closed it again. He was quiet for a moment. "You came here to deliver something, correct?" he suddenly asked, eyeing the bag in Orihime's lap for the first time.

"Uh-Yes, yes." she stammered quickly, taking the shoulder strap off and opening the bag to pull out the rectangular briefcase inside. "Here." she said, carefully setting it on the desk, beside the tray with food.

Mr. Urahara reached forward and unclasped the briefcase open. It faced him, its contents hidden from Orihime's view, and the man peered inside before carefully pulling something out.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

_Ulquiorra POV_

Ulquiorra ran.

For the first time in his life, he felt his heart pound in fear, not for himself, but someone else.

His conversation with Aizen just minutes before rang in his ears, making his heart and his legs move faster and faster.

"_Is she important enough to turn your back on your life? On your family? On me?" Aizen asked. "Hmm?"_

_Ulquiorra immediately knew the answer, and he knew it was reflected in his eyes in that moment._

_Aizen sighed and looked at Ulquiorra with mock disappointment. "I feared as much."_

"_What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked, feeling his heartbeat quicken. If his suspicions were correct, there was no reason for Aizen to keep Ulquiorra from going with Orihime on her mission. That meant he had something else planned…_

"_This girl has tricked you, Ulquiorra." Aizen began to explain. "You have been blinded, fooled by her tricks. She works for the Seiretei Company. You know they have been after us for years. They've sent a spy in hopes she could get to you, and that way, to _us._"_

_Ulquiorra could hardly believe his ears. He stared at Aizen incredulously. "What are you-?"_

"_I am sorry this happened to you, my son. It is a cruel lesson you must learn in this world. Trust no one." Aizen's face turned serious as he said that. "As it is, there was only one way to resolve this." _

_Ulquiorra froze._

_He had heard those words before. He knew what they meant. _

"_I wish there was another way." Aizen said, faking a pained look. "You are lucky we caught her before she could do any more damage, my son."_

_Ulquiorra was dead silent. A shadow fell over his features. _

"_Son?" _

"_I am not your son."_

_He saw Aizen's calm exterior waver for the first time. Surprise flickered on his face, then anger. A quiet, dangerous anger. "What?"_

_Ulquiorra raised his gaze to meet the man's brown eyes. "You are not my father. I would prefer if you refrained from calling me your son." Ulquiorra stated stoically._

_Aizen stood from his chair in one quick motion, but Ulquiorra was faster. Before the man was out from behind his desk, Ulquiorra was out of the office._

_He shut the door behind him and heard it open an instant later._

_And he started running._

_He ran down the hallway, and heard Aizen call his name angrily. He kept running._

_Then Tosen was there. When he opened the door to enter the restaurant Tosen was there, blocking his path._

_In one heartbeat, Ulquiorra shoved the man against the doorframe; hard. He heard his head make contact and barely had time to see the man crumple down. He had no time to waste._

_Ulquiorra knew he wouldn't get far with Aizen hot on his heels._

_So he stopped. _

_He turned and was facing Aizen, who had also stopped. Aizen's calm mask was back on, and the smile was back on his face. He stood only a couple of feet away._

_Close enough._

"_Come now, Ulquiorra. Think about this. You've known her for two weeks, just barely. I am the only real family you have." Aizen coaxed._

_Ulquiorra closed his eyes, letting his face remain passive. "…Maybe…" he said. He stood with his back to one of the set tables on the restaurant._

_And before Aizen could so much as react, Ulquiorra brought the glass flower vase that was the centerpiece on each table down on Aizen's head. He had silently wrapped his hand around the vase behind his back, not allowing to see._

_The glass vase shattered on impact, and Aizen fell._

_Ulquiorra did not linger, he darted out with one name in his mind._

_Orihime._

Ulquiorra pushed himself to go faster.

He knew she would have taken the subway with Stark and Harribel, and Aizen had said they would get down on the fourth stop. The only problem was Ulquiorra didn't know _which_ train.

If only he knew anything about this Mr. Urahara, but he had never had to deliver anything to the man. He had no idea where he would be.

But he would worry about it when he got there. Right now, all he could do was run, and hope he would make it in time.

"_As it is, there was only one way to resolve this." _

Ulquiorra knew what those words meant.

They would kill her. If he didn't make it in time.

He was Orihime's only chance.

The truth of that statement haunted him as he stood down at the subway station at last. He looked at the maps, trying to figure out what to do.

There were only two trains going from this station; one went East, one West. Ulquiorra could just get on one and hope he was right; if he was wrong he could come back and ride the other train. But that would take time. Time he didn't have. Time that Orihime didn't have.

He couldn't afford to get on the wrong train.

Ulquiorra willed something to happen. For the first time in his life, he prayed. He prayed for some sort of sign, something to show him the way. Anything at all!

That's when he heard it.

_Meow!_

His green eyes widened and he looked down.

There, standing by his feet, stood a familiar black fur ball with golden eyes looking straight at him.

_Meow!_ It insisted.

_The Hairball?_ He thought incredulously.

He shook his head before saying, "Alright. Lead the way, Hairball."

The cat seemingly understood him and immediately turned around, darting through people to where one of the trains was just coming to a stop to allow people inside.

_I hope this cat knows were it's going. _Ulquiorra thought, placing his only hope on the feline.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

_Orihime POV_

With deliberately slow movements, Mr. Urahara retrieved the object inside the briefcase.

Orihime's breath caught as she saw it.

It was a gun.

Mr. Urahara cradled it in his hand like a long lost friend. It was an antique-looking pistol. The handle was long and gently curved, and it was a polished deep reddish brown color, almost crimson.

"Her name is Benihime." Mr. Urahara said, and with mild shock Orihime realized he was referring to the pistol. "It's a family heirloom. Thought I'd lost her when I had to give it up to Aizen. But it seems he didn't see fit to keep it."

Orihime was watching the gun nervously. She had never seen a gun in real life before, and the sight of it so close, and very possibly loaded, made a chill go down her spine.

Mr. Urahara was seemingly lost inspecting his dear 'Benihime', and Orihime saw this as her chance to make her exit.

"Wait!" Mr. Urahara called. She didn't stop.

Orihime rushed out the door, but found that she couldn't walk more than two feet away, as two imposing figures blocked her way.

Stark and Harribel.

"I- I've already delivered the…" she trailed off, seeing the expressions on their faces.

Harribel looked down coldly at her, while Stark looked…

"I'm really sorry." Stark said, and he looked and sounded like he truly meant it.

A small whimper escaped Orihime's throat, and she looked back to see Mr. Urahara had left his spot behind the desk and was standing behind her, leaving her nowhere to run. His playful expression was nowhere to be seen, right now Mr. Urahara looked just as cold as Harribel.

Orihime looked back at Stark. She was sure her face betrayed how scared she suddenly was. Her heart pounded so hard and fast it felt like it wanted to get out of her chest, and her mind raced with names and faces and memories; she suddenly recalled the expression 'seeing your life flash before your eyes' all too clearly.

One face stood out among the others, and it wasn't one she would have expected, though by now, she should have.

A pair of emerald green eyes, and a neutral expression. Along with a voice.

"_I will come for you."_

Those would be his last words to her.

Orihime's hands tightened into shaking fists, her nails dug into her skin painfully, but she barely felt it.

Stark looked down at her and he looked so…sad. His stormy eyes looked haunted, and Orihime figured this was not the first time he was put in this position. For just a moment, she wondered why he would work in this business, for someone like Aizen, if he was so obviously pained by this…

Stark then put his hand into the jacket he wore. Then in an inner pocket, Orihime saw the glint of the silver gun before he took it out and pointed it straight at her heart.

She heard a cry leave her lips before she could stop it. Trembling, she turned again to see Mr. Urahara raise his own Benihime.

She heard the sound of a gun being cocked.

She shut her eyes tightly. There was no reason for the last thing she should see to be the gun that would kill her.

Instead, she pictured in her mind the faces of her friends.

Ryo.

Michiru.

Chizuru.

Chad.

Ishida.

Rukia.

Ichigo.

Tatsuki.

Sora.

She felt a warm lone tear roll down her cheek. She bit her lip to keep from crying. She did not want to go out crying.

And finally, she thought of him.

Ulquiorra.

_I'm sorry, Ulquiorra. You won't make it in time. I…_

She didn't get to finish her thought.

Two loud sounds pierced the air.

x-X-x-X-x-X-x

_Ulquiorra POV_

Ulquiorra had made it off the subway…Only to be without a clue of where to go next.

To his good fortune, however, the Hairball seemed to know where to go.

As soon as they got off the train at the fourth stop (Ulquiorra carrying the Hairball in his arms seeing as it was the only way they allowed it inside the subway train), it struggled and jumped out of his arms as soon as they stepped out of the train.

"Ungrateful little-" Ulquiorra muttered as the cat darted through the crowd and left.

Ulquiorra suddenly questioned of it had been a smart decision to follow the cat in the first place.

Now having no idea of where to go and find Orihime, he found himself looking at a map of where he was, graciously provided on one of the walls on the subway station.

He had never been in this part of town before, so he didn't have the slightest idea of where this Kisuke Urahara could possibly be.

He was squinting at the map, trying to make out any important-looking locations that seemed promising, when he was interrupted by another infernal _Meow!_

He looked down, this time not surprised to find a black cat with yellow eyes looking up at him.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say the damn thing looked _irritated_.

_Meow!_

"_What is it now?" _Ulquiorra hissed, at this point not even paying any mind to what people would think when they saw him talking to a cat; he was spending too much time with Orihime…

_Meow!_ It replied, motioning with its head and its front paw towards the exit of the station.

"Don't tell me you know where Urahara is now, too." Ulquiorra bent down slightly to say incredulously to the cat.

People gave him strange glances as they passed by.

_Meow!_

Ulquiorra thought he saw the cat roll its eyes exasperated…Maybe his imagination was starting to get too wild.

He raised an eyebrow as the cat turned and Meowed annoyed, motioning for him to follow.

Ulquiorra realized he was out of options.

"You better know what you're doing."

With that, he was off. Chasing after the Hairball, bumping into people several times seeing as the cat was _really_ fast and small. To keep up Ulquiorra had to run and crash into people, or else he would loose sight of what at this point was his only chance of getting to Orihime. He didn't bother loosing time apologizing to anyone, and for just a fleeting moment he thought if _she_ was here she would scold him for being rude.

He almost laughed.

But that just reminded him of what was at stake if he didn't make it.

So Ulquiorra dashed after the cat, down one street then another, taking turns after it, his heart stopping for a second whenever he lost sight of the animal, only to start again faster as he glimpsed the familiar black tail.

Finally, he saw the cat had stopped.

He ran and stopped beside it, his breathing hard, sweating from the run.

_Meow!_

It had its golden eyes fixed on a small shop wedged in between a couple of buildings. It looked like an old run-down sort of place, not at all like the sort of places that dealt with Aizen.

For a moment, he was filled with dread.

Had the cat led him astray?

_You're such an imbecile! The cat didn't lead you astray, __you__ did! The cat just went wherever the hell it wanted, and like the idiot you are you followed it thinking he'd somehow miraculously know where Orihime was!_

He yelled at himself inwardly.

He was on the verge of turning back, even though he had no idea where to go, he had to try to find Orihime somehow. He had promised her.

_Meow!_

The cat suddenly piped up, and Ulquiorra looked down just before it threw its clawed hand at him and scratched through the fabric of his pants, tearing shallowly through his skin.

That's when Ulquiorra reached his boiling point.

The cat had led him on who knows what train, to who knows what trashy store, probably costing him his chance to ever reach Orihime, and now it _scratched_ him?

"_Damned cat from hell!"_ he threw himself at the cat, hoping to catch it and strangle it, but it darted just out of his grasp and ran into the store.

Without thinking, suddenly filled with nothing but anger he ran after the cat.

The door to the place was closed, and it wasn't until Ulquiorra came to a stop there thinking this was his chance to kill the Hairball, that he noticed something.

A small, hand-written sign hanging.

'_**Urahara Shop'**_

His anger suddenly vanished. He didn't even pause to glance at the Hairball to apologize for wanting to kill it, or to wonder just how the hell it knew how to get here; he quickly turned the knob -to find it was locked.

_Damn._

He cursed as he looked in his pocket for something to pick the lock with.

_Meow!_

"Of course." he muttered sarcastically as the cat scratched on the rug set before the door. Ulquiorra quickly threw away the dirty old thing, and felt satisfaction as he saw the silver key that was there.

He quickly grabbed it and put it in the lock.

His heart was now pounding hard, the sound filling his ears, and he knew it had nothing to do with fatigue from the run now. He had to concentrate to keep from fumbling with the key; something that had never happened to him before.

…_Orihime…_ He thought, a split second before he heard the _click_ of the door unlocking.

He put his hand on the knob and started to turn it when he was suddenly frozen in place by a shrill sound.

The floor felt like it had dropped out from under him. The key fell from his hand. His throat closed and he suddenly couldn't breath. Everything stopped. He couldn't even feel the heavy pounding in his chest. The sound echoed endlessly in his ears.

A scream.

A single shrill earsplitting scream, accompanied by a sound he had heard too many times before:

A gunshot.

x-X-x-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-x-x-x-x-x-x

**A/N: *avoids random heavy and sharp objects thrown my way***

**I am really sorry for many things I'll just make a list: **

**1) The late update. I'd promised one sooner but in my defense, this time I had an excuse: I was writing an UraYoru oneshot for a contest at the Bleach Asylum, and the deadline was this week. **

**2)The lack of actual Ulqui/Hime in this chapter. I know they didn't even see each other, but it was necessary.**

**3) The cliffhanger. That was just evil I know, trust me, but it kind of had to go there. I have a good excuse for that! Err, I…please don't kill me! **

**But, since I am well aware of how evil this cliffy was, there WILL be an earlier update this time, provided of course, there aren't any inconveniences I can't control. (I promise no more entering contests until I update) hehe ^^**

**Okay, to the happier part of my AN:**

**Thanks to:**

**dorkykorean **

**AngelsInFlight6X0karee-chan **

**Miss Junkiee **

**Natalie**

**loveRomance825 blackwingsgreeneyes **

**Sometimes-You've-Gotta-Live **

**Roxas's favorite **

**MiloMaxwell pharitse **

**RaineyLolita **

**champylin IceFire Dragon Alchemist73 BlumberBerry **

**QANARA IRANOV **

**SpicyLove **

**THANK U GUYS SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! You make my day every time I read your reviews :D **

**So I was thinking, maybe we could do something special since in 50 more reviews I'll reach my 300th**** review (HOLLY C**%^9 I'M SO F*&^NG EXCITED!) I thought I could give a small prize to the 300****th**** reviewer…Like a oneshot of Ulquihime or whatever pairing you want, or maybe a small cameo in this story…Idk tell me if u like the idea in your review or PM me if you want. **

**Anyway, that's it for now. Its 5am over here, I should probably go to bed soon…XD Ooh and I think this was my longest chapter ever!^^ WOHOOO! Free Urahara Shop Lollipops for everyone!:D**

**Til next time my dear readers! (hopefully soon!) **


	18. Over Now

**A/N: First of all, I'd like to say that this chapter was a royal pain in the ass to write, but AT LAST I finished and here you go. It's not exactly a great chapter, but please bear with it hehe!**

**-x- **

Two sounds pierced through the air.

A short, thundering bang.

And a shrill scream she would later come to realize was her own.

Time seemed to have come to a standby. Nothing moved, no one made a sound… Was she dead?

Everything was dark. She couldn't see or hear anything. So this was what death is like…? A black, silent abyss…

_Thump thump._

A muffled sound broke through the silence.

_Thump thump._

That sound again; it was louder now.

_Thump thump! Thump thump!_

The sound became louder and more insistent, yet rhythmic.

A heartbeat.

It was a moment before she realized;

It was her own heartbeat.

With a sharp intake of breath, Orihime's eyes snapped open at the same time as her hand flew to her chest to confirm the beating of her heart. It thumped reassuringly under her palm.

She was alive!

Once the moment of realization was over, Orihime took in her surroundings. Her gray eyes immediately fell on a pair of similarly colored, but steely orbs.

The look on Kisuke Urahara's face was cold, unwavering, and altogether different from what his earlier demeanor would have suggested. His silly hat and robes did nothing to lessen the menacing expression he wore. Then her eyes traveled lower, to his outstretched hand, which held an obviously just-fired elegant pistol.

Orihime's breath caught again as she saw the weapon. She looked down at herself and was surprised she found no bullet holes on any visible part. But Urahara had definitely just fired in her direction. Which meant…

She whirled around and realization dawned on her as she saw Stark, slightly bent over and clutching his right arm tightly, crimson liquid spilling down his sleeve and over his fingers. Beads of sweat ran down his face and he breathed heavily. The gun previously held in his right hand lay on the floor.

Orihime's eyes widened. She didn't have time to stand there and gape though; Harribel moved quickly.

The blonde wasted no time being shocked and in the time it took to blink her hands had reached back, behind her white jacket and extracted a glinting object…

Urahara was just as quick. Before Harribel had finished drawing the object, Urahara had pulled on Orihime's arm and forcefully shoved her behind him and aimed his Benihime straight at Harribel. Said woman now stood with her eyes narrowed and a tense, ready-to-fight stance, the object in her hand drawn and ready to use.

It wasn't a gun, like Orihime would have originally thought it would be. Instead, a wide blade as long as her forearm glinted dangerously. Orihime thought she saw a flash of her own orange hair and gray eyes on the flat of the blade, before Harribel angled it so that its very sharp-looking edge was facing her and Urahara.

Urahara pointed the gun straight at Harribel, just as Stark made a move to reach down for his fallen weapon. Urahara immediately pointed a Stark again, and Harribel made as if to move forward and she looked like she wouldn't hesitate to attack.

Orihime never saw what would have happened then, because in that instant, someone else ran into the scene.

Orihime thought for a second she was hallucinating. She blinked furiously and stared again.

She wasn't hallucinating.

There, breathing hard and a wearing an expression that looked foreign to her, stood none-other than Ulquiorra.

The rush of emotion that assaulted her that moment would have been enough to bring Orihime to her knees, if she hadn't been too paralyzed to move. His startlingly green eyes caught hers and she felt…she felt…She didn't know what she felt. But it was strong. Unbelievably and indescribably strong. It wasn't until then that Orihime realized just how sure she had been that she would never see him again. And how much that notion had affected her.

As her gray eyes focused on his without moving away once, she saw again that odd expression on his face, reflected even more strongly in his emerald orbs.

And finally, she realized what it was and why it looked so out of place on him.

Fear. Absolute, intense, raw fear. But he wasn't looking at Harribel or Urahara, who gripped their weapons as they gaped at him, or even at Stark. He was focused solely on Orihime, the fear in his eyes overwhelming.

"Ulquiorra."

She hadn't said his name, she was much too paralyzed and shocked to be able to make a peep. It was Stark who spoke.

"Ulquiorra?" a voice closer to her repeated, Urahara. "So you're Aizen's boy? Pleasure to meet you." he said in a casual tone that was only ruined by the gun he had raised.

Ulquiorra made to move forward and Urahara quickly pointed Benihime at his chest.

"NO!"

Orihime was surprised the sudden shriek left her own lips. Her hands had tightened around Urahara's arm and she tugged back on it to try and make him point it away from Ulquiorra.

Urahara turned his face to hers and stared at her in surprise and confusion. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked like he was about to question her when a flash of movement made them both turn to look.

Stark had just ducked and seized his gun in his uninjured hand and pointed it straight to Urahara. Urahara reacted just in time and he shoved himself into the brown-haired man and used his arm to punch the gun -which now went off loudly in a random direction- out of his hand. Before he could use his own Benihime, Stark had recovered and with lightning-fast movements, had knocked Benihime out of Urahara's grasp as well.

Orihime was engrossed in what had now become a hand-to-hand fight, and had failed to notice the blonde moving her way with a raised blade until said weapon glinted two inches from her eye.

Before she had time to even mutter a scream, the blade had stopped short. It had been blocked by a…golf club?

Orihime's gaze flashed to a tumbled displayed stack of clubs lying on the floor on the aisle just outside Urahara's back office. She quickly looked away and saw the person holding the long golf club in front of her.

"…Ulquiorra." she half-whispered his name, looking at the inky-haired back of his head.

He turned his head decimally and turned one eye towards her. "Orihime." he said, looking deeply into her eyes.

Before anything else could be said, Harribel pulled her oversized kitchen-knife to strike Ulquiorra, but he instantly turned back to her and, with impressive reflexes, parried the blow with his golf club in a slight shower of sparks as metal clashed against metal.

Orihime stood frozen as she watched Ulquiorra parry away Harribel's swift and deadly blows, with only a golf club. In the other side of the office, Urahara and Stark exchanged bone-chattering blows, each trying their best to reach for their fallen pistols, while keeping the other from getting to close to them.

Orihime unconsciously brought her hands up to her chest and clenched them tightly, watching helpless as Ulquiorra defended himself. What could she do? It wasn't like she'd be of any use if she jumped and tried to help -she knew she'd only be getting in the way-. She desperately looked around the office, looking for something -anything!- that could possibly be useful.

That's when she saw it.

At the far end of the office, partially hidden behind the clutters of objects that littered every space, was a small dark wooden stand placed on the floor. On it, proudly displayed was an old-fashioned, gracefully curving traditional Japanese sword; a katana.

Not even pausing to hesitate as to _why_ there was a katana in Urahara's office -she had already seen way too many things these past few days to pay that detail much notice-, Orihime dashed in its direction, everyone else too engrossed in their fighting to notice her. She kneeled down and quickly retrieved the sheathed sword, feeling its unfamiliar weight in her hands. It made her nervous to hold such a lethal object, but she quickly swallowed that fear and curled one hand around the sheath, the other around the dark handle, just beneath the guard. She pulled it out just enough to see the sharp, threatening glint of the blade, confirming it was, as she'd suspected a legitimate katana, and not just some wooden or dull imitation. Hurriedly shoving it back into its sheath, she stood and ran back into the middle of the office, where Harribel had just managed to disarm Ulquiorra. The latter was pressed against Urahara's wooden desk, his eyes darting about for a way to stop Harribel's impending blow.

"Ulquiorra!"

He immediately turned to look at her and without missing a beat, Orihime tossed him the sheathed weapon. Ulquiorra caught it effortlessly and, in one seemingly practiced motion, pulled the sword out of its cover and raised it to meet Harribel's knife halfway into the blow.

The fight continued now, more viciously. Ulquiorra was no longer just on the defensive as he parried blows. Harribel was skilled, frightfully skilled; Orihime had trouble following her movements and the fast, controlled swirls of the knife in her hand. Ulquiorra, surprisingly enough for her, managed to match Harribel in both speed and skill. He handled the katana like he'd been doing it all his life, and Orihime would have wondered more about this if she wasn't so anxiously straining to follow the battle, desperately having to remind herself to breathe every few seconds.

In the background, she was slightly aware of the battle still going on between the two gray-eyed men. But her focus remained on Ulquiorra's fight with Harribel. He was now sporting several shallow-looking cuts; some on his arms, where the fabric of his black shirt was ripped, several small gashes on his hands and fingers, and even a couple of tiny cuts on his face, along with one conspicuous gash that ran along his pale cheek. None of the bleeding lines seemed to bother him as he continued trying to gain an advantage over his opponent, who was not in a much better state than him by now.

She stood frozen on the spot. Orihime had no idea what to do, what she _could_ do. She did her best to banish the possibilities of what could happen from her mind, lest she break down right then and there. But it was no use.

If she'd thought she had been frightened before, when Urahara and Stark had been pointing their guns at her, that had been nothing compared to how she felt now. Because the possibility of what could happen now, was far, far worse. She didn't even care to realize just how strongly she cared for Ulquiorra right now.

"Please don't die…" her plea came out in a tiny whisper that was lost in the clanging of metal against metal, and the grunts Stark and Urahara made every time one of them landed a hit.

How long she stood there watching the awful sight, she would never now. She knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes, but to her it felt like _hours_, if not _days._ Every time she saw Harribel's knife make even the shallowest gash on Ulquiorra's pale skin, she winced as if she had felt it herself. Every time the woman's knife came within an inch of Ulquiorra's face, neck, or torso, her breath would catch and her entire being would freeze, her heart even seeming to seize thumping for just an instant; before Ulquiorra raised his katana to block an otherwise lethal hit at the last possible split second.

It was horrible. Terrifying. She was almost glad when it was finally stopped by a gruff, now-cold voice.

"Stop." he said simply. Stark stood with dirtied, ruffled clothes and expression, a bleeding lip, one hand bleeding limply at his side, the other raised with a cocked gun aiming straight at Ulquiorra. At his feet lay a seemingly knocked out Urahara, no signs of blood or bullet holes nearby. "Drop the sword." Stark calmly commanded.

Ulquiorra didn't move. Stark merely responded by moving his hand slightly to his left; aiming at Orihime now. His cool gray eyes challenged Ulquiorra silently. Ulquiorra reluctantly let his katana fall with a surrendering _clank_ to the ground. Harribel immediately took this chance to press the edge of her knife to Ulquiorra's exposed neck. He barely flinched, and met her teal gaze coolly.

"Don't move." Harribel said evenly.

A low grunt was heard as Urahara started to come to, and immediately Stark's gun was pointed downwards to the blond man's head.

"It seems you have no way out." Stark spoke, looking at Ulquiorra but keeping his gun pointed at Urahara. "Back down Ulquiorra. There's no need for you to die here. And I certainly don't want to be the one with your blood on my hands when Aizen shows up…But if you leave no choice…" Stark looked at Ulquiorra reasonably.

Orihime found herself silently begging for him to accept Stark's words and back down. There was no need for him to go down…

"Why are you here, Ulquiorra?" a colder voice asked. Harribel.

"I don't believe that is any of your business." he replied, unfazed by her knife, now beginning to draw a slender string of blood from the flesh of his neck.

"Why betray Aizen?" Harribel went on. "How could you?" she sounded disbelieving, as if the very idea of betraying her boss was ludicrous.

"I have my reason." Ulquiorra replied nonchalantly. As he said this, his eyes, whether consciously or not, drifted to the side and landed on Orihime's gray orbs.

Harribel didn't miss this and followed his line of sight to the orange-haired girl. "_Her?"_ she hissed. "You would abandon us for this _girl_?"

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed dangerously at the blonde. "What I choose to do for this _Woman_ is none of your concern, Tia Harribel."

Orihime's eyes widened at the dangerous threat in Ulquiorra's voice as he said that. But not only because of what he said or how he said it…Ulquiorra was openly, sticking up for her? Not only that, he was also admitting that he was going this, betraying his boss and father, for _her?_

It couldn't be! Orihime thought over and over. _'No way…'_

Harribel's teal eyes narrowed to slits and her grip on the knife visibly tightened. "Insolent little-"

Whatever Harribel was going to call Ulquiorra was cut off by Stark's voice. "It's getting late, Aizen will start to get suspicious if we don't report back soon. What do you propose we do?" he asked, looking to Harribel, never forgetting to point his gun at Urahara.

Harribel only glared at Ulquiorra in silence for a few seconds, then she eased the pressure of her knife on his neck and the intensity of her glare ever-so-slightly and said, "Aizen has no time to deal with traitors." She glanced from Ulquiorra to Urahara and back. "We must finish the job we were handed; and eliminate those who get in the way." she finished, her eyes gaining a fiery spark.

Stark sighed deeply and closed his eyes, a regretful expression on his face. "I suppose you're right." Then he opened his eyes and focused them on Urahara, pointing his gun straight at the man's forehead.

Harribel nodded once sharply. Then she pulled her knife back only far enough to have some room to slice mercilessly at Ulquiorra's throat.

Stark's finger inched on the trigger.

Harribel's grip tightened as she prepared to bring down the blade.

"STOP!"

Orihime's unexpected shriek resounded through the room as four faces in varying degrees of shock and surprise stared at her.

"Stop," she pleaded again, more softly this time. "D-don't kill them." she begged, inwardly cursing her slight stuttering. "It's me you want, isn't it?" her voice was low for fear that if she spoke any louder it would break; but the determination in her eyes was unwavering. She took a step forward, closer to a speechless, open-mouthed Harribel. "Take me." she was almost whispering now, and she felt her eyes moistening up, but forced any tears to keep from falling. "I won't fight you. Just please…" she took a steadying breath before saying more loudly; "Don't hurt them!"

At that, her glistening gray eyes locked onto Ulquiorra's widened emeralds.

There was a shocked silence in which nobody moved.

Pleading gray eyes looked into startled green pools. It seemed they all stayed like that forever.

At long last, the silence was broken by a sigh, followed by; "That is very noble of you, Miss Orihime." It was Stark who spoke. Orihime broke her gaze away from Ulquiorra's to look at Stark. He was looking at her with a sincere expression.

Harribel turned to look at Stark as well, shooting him a warning look. "Stark-"

"There's no need for any more bloodshed than necessary, Tia. I know you agree with that." Stark said reasonably, beginning to lower his armed hand.

Harribel looked at him dubiously, keeping her blade pressed against Ulquiorra. "But these two went against-"

"It isn't our place to interfere with family affairs, now is it?" Stark coaxed, shooting Ulquiorra a meaningful glance along with his words.

Harribel still looked reluctant, but started to ease her hold against Ulquiorra nonetheless.

"Besides," Stark said, looking and sounding like this was the final, winning argument. "You wouldn't wanna be the one telling Aizen that you were the one to kill his son, would you?"

With that, Harribel drew her oversized knife back -Orihime letting out a breath of relief she hadn't known she'd been holding at the gesture-; but kept an arm pressed against Ulquiorra, keeping him in place. Stark let his left arm fall to his side as limply as his bleeding right arm, maintaining his restrictive stance over Urahara.

Orihime braced herself for what would happen next.

_He'll be safe. No one will get hurt. That's all that matters._ She silently assured herself.

"I promise I'll be as quick as possible." Stark looked at her with an attempted reassuring look just before once again raising his left arm, gun in place.

She inhaled a sharp breath as she once again heard the sound of the gun cocking, for what she was sure would be the last time.

She knew it was impossible, but she was sure, for just a moment, that she could hear the quiet sound of Stark's finger beginning to pull back the trigger that would end it all…

She let her eyes close and consoled herself;

_It will be okay._

"Not on my watch."

Orihime had only enough time for her eyes to fly open an instant after Ulquiorra's unexpected words, before the black-haired man, with remarkable agility, slipped from Harribel's grasp and elbowed her stomach -causing her to double over- in one swift motion.

Almost simultaneously, a few feet over, Urahara had just swept Stark's legs from under him, causing the man to fall flat on his back as Urahara jumped to his feet and in the blink of an eye switched their previous positions. Orihime saw the glint of Benihime's crimson hilt, now back in the blond's grasp, directly pointed at Stark.

It all happened so fast and suddenly Orihime had no time to react as Ulquiorra took his chance to knock Harribel out of the way, and just as soon he seized Orihime's wrist and he pulled her along with him, running outside the office.

They were soon joined by the shaggy-haired shop owner.

Ulquiorra paused to face the man. "Where-"

"They're knocked out." Urahara answered before Ulquiorra could finish his question.

Orihime was itching to ask what was going on, to Urahara. Wasn't he supposed to be the bad guy? Why was he _helping _them?

But she knew now was not the time for questions. The three of them started hurriedly for the door leading outside of the shop without another word.

However, they never made it out.

"Well, well." Aizen smiled amusedly as he stepped through the front door, blocking their exit. "If it isn't my most esteemed client and my son; together working on my betrayal."

The three stopped cold in their tracks. Urahara and Ulquiorra had inconspicuously moved to stand almost protectively before Orihime, who now clutched Ulquiorra's wrist like a lifeline as she stared over his shoulder at the suave, brown-haired man who had just entered. The trio stepped backwards as Aizen took another step forth.

"Isn't that amusing, Gin?" Aizen said, looking over his shoulder at the silver-haired man who was just coming in after him through the doorway.

"Very, Sir" Gin grinned that odd smile of his as he answered. "What should we do about it?"

"Hmm," Aizen looked mockingly pensive. "I suppose we should ask Grimmjow and Nnoitra that."

Just then, two more people walked through the door. One with conspicuous blue hair, the other exceptionally tall and skinny. The two distinctive figures grinned at them and Orihime's grip on Ulquiorra tightened even further. Ulquiorra shifted where he stood so his body more appropriately shielded Orihime from the two goons' view.

They still saw her, though. Their sadistic grins widened.

"Well, Aizen," Grimmjow started. "Seems like you could use a little help dealing with these people." The blue-haired man cracked his knuckles loudly and took a step forward.

"Yeah." Nnoitra spoke up, following Grimmjow's lead. "We'd be happy to help with that." As he finished saying this, his eyes looked over Ulquiorra's shoulder and settled on the orange-haired girl. The tall man then licked his lips with a sick, sadistic look in his eyes that sent a chill through Orihime.

"Easy Nnoitra, Grimmjow." Aizen said, the ever-present smile on his face not completely masking the commanding nature of his voice. "I am a very patient, even forgiving man." His brown eyes focused momentarily on Urahara then locked on Ulquiorra. "It's not too late to apologize for your actions. I am willing to look past this; forgive and forget, as they say." His tone and his expression were that of a patient parent or teacher. However, Orihime could see the underlying threat in there, the unspoken promise of 'or else' if Ulquiorra and Urahara didn't do as he said. "All you have to do is say the word."

There was a quiet pause where Aizen smiled and waited expectantly for their decisions.

And then, Ulquiorra took a step forward.

Aizen's smile widened triumphantly, while Orihime gazed in horror.

'_This is for the best. He'll be alright…'_ No matter how much Orihime told herself this, she couldn't stop the stab of pain -sharp, excruciating pain- that pierced through her at being abandoned by him. Ulquiorra tugged his arm free of her grasp and she felt as if the moment he broke their contact something inside of her broke as well. She didn't know quite how to explain the feeling, and she didn't want to. In a few moments it wouldn't matter.

"Aizen…" Ulquiorra said, his voice as calm and neutral as ever. Orihime and Urahara both stared, unsure of what to do next. Ulquiorra's eyes were emotionless as he stared at the man. "You will forgive my imprudence, you say?"

"Of course." Aizen said without missing a beat. His calm demeanor similar to Ulquiorra's now, except for his pleasant façade.

Ulquiorra paused and was silent for a moment as he closed his eyes. Orihime watched nervously. What exactly was he thinking?

"All I have to do," his voice remained even, emotionless. "Is hand over the Woman. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Hmph." Ulquiorra muttered softly, but showed no more reaction.

What…?

All of a sudden, his green eyes snapped open and in their depths, Orihime saw a fiery brightness she'd hardly witnessed before. "_Like hell."_

Without warning, Urahara had Benihime out again and Ulquiorra was pulling Orihime by her wrist.

She heard shots, and she thought she saw Aizen's men draw guns, but Ulquiorra was pulling her away too quickly for her to stop and really see what was happening.

The two of them weren't headed outside - Aizen's men had been blocking the exit-; they were weaving through the dozens of cluttered shelves, through the musty scented aisles of the Urahara Shop, knocking down assorted artifacts in their haste.

It wasn't long before she heard someone else knock over a display behind them.

Nnoitra was on their heels. Orihime looked back and saw him, grinning in seeming anticipation, looking very much like a hunter gaining on his prey.

Orihime concentrated on running. It was difficult, weaving through the tightly-packed narrow aisles of the store, especially considering her usual clumsiness; but she knew this made it an advantage for her and Ulquiorra to maintain their distance from Nnoitra, who would have under other circumstances most likely caught up to them easily.

It was a good plan. Unfortunately, it was useless once they came to a dead end.

She heard Ulquiorra mutter a curse and then he whirled around to face her. He put both hands on her arms and looked her in the eye.

"Stay behind me." He instructed. "If anything happens, _run_. Run as fast as you can, and get away from here." His voice left no room for arguing. Orihime stared at him wide-eyed for only a moment before he was suddenly pulling her back and immediately standing before her.

Orihime had wanted to object -no way was she running! And, when he said if anything happened…Surely he'd be alright…?

She couldn't stand there and ponder all day, because not a moment later Nnoitra showed up, sadistic cocky grin already in place as he faced them. His imposing stature coupled with the narrow space in between aisles in this store emphasized how trapped she and Ulquiorra were.

"Well, would you look at that?" Nnoitra started in an obnoxious, loud manner. "Looks like little Ulquiorra's got himself a girlfriend!" He laughed out loud.

From what Orihime could see, Ulquiorra remained stoic and seemingly unaffected by the other man's taunts.

"She's not bad either." Nnoitra went on, grinning wickedly. "She's got one of the biggest racks I've ever seen. Hell, maybe once I'm through with you I can convince Aizen to let me have a little fun with her before-" Nnoitra was suddenly caught off.

Ulquiorra's fist had made contact with Nnoitra's nose so fast Orihime barely had time to see it. Nnoitra clutched his nose with a pained look as he shouted obscenities. "You'll pay for that you damned brat!" he shouted, and quickly charged at Ulquiorra.

Orihime let out a sharp gasp, but Ulquiorra was already prepared for the attack. With seemingly no effort from his part, he engaged Nnoitra in a hand to hand fight.

She watched with her breath held as once again, Ulquiorra fought for her sake.

'_He is…fighting for me…' _The realization suddenly struck her now. Ulquiorra was fighting for her, he was going against his father -from what she knew, his only family- and it was all for _her._

She was gripped all of a sudden by various emotions; one was warmth; a warmth that she only now realized she had been feeling more and more in Ulquiorra's -ironically cold- presence. She also felt fear. An awful fear because of what could happen…And she knew if anything did happen, it would all be her fault…

"…Ulquiorra." His name escaped her lips in a hushed whisper. She gripped her hands in front of her chest and bit her lip as she watched Ulquiorra and Nnoitra exchange blows. "Please don't get hurt." she pleaded just as softly.

-x-

_Ulquiorra POV_

Nnoitra came at him with wild, brash, but powerful blows. His frenzied attacks would have been easily able to overpower most opponents with strength alone. However, he was no ordinary opponent. Ulquiorra had a very different fighting style than Nnoitra's, but his skill and strength were undeniable. As far as he knew, the only people who outranked him in fighting ability were Coyote Stark, Tia Harribel and Gin Ichimaru. And had it not been for his young age, he would have been placed higher than Harribel as well. So, it was not that difficult to fight Nnoitra.

The battle started fairly even, but was quickly tipping in his favor. The problem with Nnoitra's careless approach was how quickly he would tire; his movements became easier to read by the second. Ulquiorra would have won in the next two minutes had it not been for what happened next…

Too engrossed in his fight, Ulquiorra failed to notice the newcomer's presence until it was too late to stop him.

In a flash of distinct electric blue, Grimmjow burst through the aisles he himself had come through earlier.

Ulquiorra readied himself for an attack as soon as he realized what was happening; of course it would be difficult to fight against both Nnoitra and Grimmjow, but he still out matched both of them in both skill and wits. He knew he could win.

What Ulquiorra failed to notice, however, was that Grimmjow's intentions were not to aid Nnoitra in battle.

Her muffled scream came a second later.

Ulquiorra whirled around and saw Grimmjow, grabbing Orihime from behind, one hand sealing her mouth, holding her in place while he grinned maniacally.

"_Grimmjow,"_ Ulquiorra snarled. The coward! He should have known the bastard was not above taking advantage of Ulquiorra's helplessness to move in and overpower the woman.

Ulquiorra immediately started to where they were, in his desire to get Orihime back to safety forgetting that Nnoitra still wasn't out.

"Ha Ha!" Nnoitra laughed as he caught him off guard with a kick to the ribcage that knocked the wind out of him. Before Ulquiorra could recover, Nnoitra landed a punch in his gut, causing him to double over breathlessly.

Orihime's muffled pleas and whimpers suddenly became loud and desperate. Ulquiorra managed to look up and met her distressed gray eyes.

"This is nothing," he found himself reassuring her in a surprisingly sharp, steady voice. "You need not worry." Ignoring the pain and catching his breath again, he started to straighten up, just in time to block another blow from Nnoitra.

"Aww," Grimmjow said in a mocking voice. "Ain't that sweet. You've got her worrying about you an all, Ulquiorra! How the hell did you get her to like _you?"_ The blue-haired man laughed.

Ulquiorra wanted nothing more than to punch his mouth in and shut up the obnoxious bastard, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it until he was finished with Nnoitra. He continued the fight, but couldn't gain the advantage again. He was distracted. He cursed inwardly. He had to get Grimmjow _away_ from her. _Now._

Ulquiorra ducked out of the way of a right hook and took his chance to elbow the taller man right in the stomach. With one more blow straight to the head, he knew Nnoitra wouldn't bother him much for a while.

Just as he started to race towards the smirking Grimmjow and the wide-eyed Orihime, he heard a calm cool voice that made him freeze in his tracks.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, _son_."

Ulquiorra stiffened on the spot. His eyes met Orihime's, and in her usually light, playful orbs, he saw anxiousness; fear. His hands tightened into fists, and he suddenly wanted to wipe the look off of her eyes.

It was all his fault. It was his fault she was afraid. And he had to fix it.

Tearing his gaze from hers, he slowly turned just enough so he could look at the man who had spoken. "_Aizen."_

Aizen sighed and his face took on a fake disappointed look. "Ah, I had always hoped you would call me father."

"You were never a father to me." Ulquiorra said without hesitation, feeling the truth in his words and welcoming it. "I realize that now."

Aizen raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Is that realization because of _her_ too?" he looked past Ulquiorra at Orihime.

Ulquiorra turned his face to look at her for a moment. Grimm -now looking rather serious since Aizen's arrival- still kept his hand over her mouth and his grip on her never loosened; she had stopped squirming as well. Then he looked back at Aizen.

"And if it is?" he kept his voice cool with a practiced manner, but he allowed the challenge to show in his words.

Aizen's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly concealed it with his 'pleasant' manner. "Well, I suppose I should have expected no better. After I raised you and saved you from a life as a dog, you repay me with ungratefulness and treason. I should have known you were no better than a spoiled brat."

Ulquiorra didn't respond. He carefully maintained a neutral expression.

Then Aizen's face twisted into what would have been a regretful expression…if only he hadn't known that Aizen felt no such thing. "You leave me no choice…"

Ulquiorra knew what he would do before it started.

Aizen put his hand into the pocket of his jacket; he drew a glinting, silver object. The gun would have seemed elegant had it not been for the situation.

Ulquiorra stood rooted on the spot as Aizen raised the fire arm. His mind whirled with possible ways to escape, to save himself and Orihime. Uncountable courses of action flashed in his head, but he couldn't act on any of them. Not when Orihime was being held by Grimmjow. He knew he would be able to escape if he caught Aizen by surprise, but there was no way he could save both himself and the woman. And that was not an option. He came here in the first place to save her, and he'd be damned if he didn't!

But what could he do?

Aizen's movements were slow and meticulous, as if he knew Ulquiorra wouldn't go anywhere -not in his current predicament-. He was taunting him. Finally, the gun in his raised arm was pointed straight between Ulquiorra's eyes.

_Run. Run, woman._ He silently willed Orihime to take the distraction that would follow Aizen shooting; it would be her chance to escape.

'_If anything happens, run.'_ He hoped beyond reason that she would heed his words; that she wouldn't hesitate. He wanted to turn around and tell her but knew that was impossible. He would have to trust her to know what to do.

Aizen cocked his gun.

Ulquiorra for a moment considered charging at Aizen to help cause the distraction for Orihime, but that would put Orihime in further danger. Ulquiorra knew Aizen, he knew how his mind worked. If Ulquiorra did anything brash, Aizen would turn his gun on the woman, and it would be over for both of them. Letting Aizen shoot him was their best chance.

'_Please. Do not hesitate.'_

Aizen's mouth pulled up in a smile, despite his previous attempt to look remorseful, and Ulquiorra knew it was coming.

He braced himself.

'_What will death be like?' _he mused quietly for a moment. _'Peaceful…? Quiet…? Cold?'_

In his mind's eye, an image flashed by quickly but clearly; of an orange-haired woman with large gray eyes and rosy cheeks.

'_Death will be lonely.'_ he decided unexpectedly. He was filled with a terrible ache that was somewhat still new and unfamiliar to him. It was similar to what he'd felt as he had raced to the Shop, whenever he thought he'd be too late. At the time, he'd thought the hollow pain might have been guilt; it would be his fault an innocent life would be lost…

But no. As he stood, mere seconds away from the end, he understood with complete security that the pain he felt had nothing to do with guilt or even remorse.

It was the pain of knowing he would not see _her_ again.

Full on realization hit him as he admitted this to himself, and suddenly the hurt in his chest was both more excruciating, yet more bearable. He'd finally come to terms with the fact that he… He could have laughed at the irony that it was only as he faced death he would finally realize.

Without his bidding, his mind played memories like a reel. The first time he'd met her, the time they were paired off for the project, the time he'd seen her in Aizen's restaurant eating alone, the first night he spent at her house, waking up with her in his arms…

The first time they kissed.

A new wave of pain struck him, it was different this time. Bittersweet. As he remembered his time with her, he felt himself filled with the warmth of the memories, as well as the realization that the last two weeks of his life had undoubtedly been the first two weeks he had ever felt truly alive.

Ulquiorra's existence had been hollow; his only purpose to serve Aizen unquestioningly. _She_ changed that. She changed his view of everything; she made him question his life and turn his back to everything he knew. Sure, now he found himself facing death, but he knew that he would not trade those two weeks for anything.

Orihime Inoue had taught Ulquiorra to live, to feel.

He had an almost irresistible urge to turn around and face her. He wanted to look at her, at her warm silky tresses, her caring innocent eyes, her visibly soft skin…He wanted to feel the warmth of her presence one last time. If only…

He resisted -with difficulty- the urge to see her. He did not want to see the despairing emotions that would be running in her eyes now, nor did he want her to have to look into his eyes as they closed one last time.

'_Orihime…'_ He wished he could reach out to her. '_I…'_

His hands fisted tightly at his sides, Ulquiorra steadied himself. He would go out with dignity, at the very least. He would go out for _her._ The very thought gave him the resolve he needed.

His piercing green eyes met Aizen's unwaveringly.

Aizen's finger began to pull the trigger, this was it…

-x-

_Orihime POV_

She was filled with a terror she hadn't known she could feel.

And it was not for herself.

She could feel her chest tighten painfully as she saw Aizen raise the gun to Ulquiorra's face. The black-haired man did not move or show any signs of fighting. Orihime wanted to yell, to scream to him to get away. She knew he could have done it, and she knew he wasn't acting because of her…

She could have cried in frustration at the situation. If only she could tell him to leave, to run away and forget about her…She could accept death. But she couldn't…He couldn't…

The urge to cry out for him was nearly unbearable, but Grimmjow's restricting hand prevented her from doing anything.

'_Ulquiorra!'_

He would die.

He would die and it would be all her fault. He had come here to save her, to save her from the mess she'd gotten herself into; the mess he had tried to keep her away from in the beginning.

Aizen cocked the gun.

Orihime couldn't bear the this.

'_Not him, please not him!'_

She felt the total helplessness of the situation. If only there was anything she could do…Ulquiorra…She never even had a chance to tell him that she…

Aizen smiled. Orihime felt her insides turn. Her lungs stopped working and the need to scream was enough to make her begin to shake in Grimmjow's grasp.

It would all be her fault. Without her in his life, none of this would have happened. And yet…As she thought of their two weeks together, of his cold demeanor, which had slowly become somewhat…warm for her. Despite his emotionless exterior, Orihime felt a warmth with him beyond anything she'd ever felt with _anyone_ else. She couldn't bring herself to regret their two weeks together.

And now, he was going to sacrifice himself. Aizen started pulling the trigger…

The acceptance of her own death had been much more bearable than the thought of Ulquiorra, lying lifeless at her feet…

'_NO!'_

"YOUCH!"

Grimmjow's yelp of pain broke through the tension and caused Aizen to shift his focus. Grimmjow waved his hand around wildly, reddening teeth marks were Orihime had mercilessly bit him.

It was easy to slip out of his grasp then, and she wasted no time waiting for the others to react; she charged madly at Aizen.

Orihime heard the loud gunshot Aizen fired off too late, it went off in a random, safe dirction as Orihime crashed into him full force, knocking them both down on the floor with the combined strength of her momentum and surprise.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra's voice sounded foggy, disbelieving.

She quickly picked herself up from the ground, lifting herself on to her hands and knees. She caught a quick peek at Ulquiorra's utterly disbelieving and shocked open-mouthed expression.

He quickly recovered himself, though. He started to move towards her to help her up but Grimmjow came at him from behind.

Orihime started to get up, determination and resolve making her strong and unshakeable. But she didn't make it two steps before someone grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down. With an escaped yelp of surprise, she fell back to the floor non-too-gently. She had no time to mull over the pain of her unceremonious landing though, because she was suddenly faced with Aizen -he was no longer wearing his patient smile, but a grin that bordered on sadistic and an almost evil glimmer in his normally polite or amused eyes.

The battle for dominance between the two was short-lived, as Aizen easily overpowered the teenage girl and pinned her underneath him on the floor. Orihime stole a quick glance at Ulquiorra, who had his hands full with Grimmjow at the moment. Before she looked away, Ulquiorra turned and met her eyes; as he saw the situation, his green orbs widened and she could see him become visibly anxious. But Grimmjow wasn't letting him off easy. The look in his eyes when he met hers as one she could only place as…helplessness.

The situation was helpless.

"You've given me quite some trouble, little girl." Aizen's breath fanned against her cheek sickeningly as he spoke in this proximity. Orihime tried unsuccessfully to suppress the shudder that racked through her body.

Aizen held both of her wrists in a restrictive grip above her head with only one hand, and he used his own weight to keep her pinned and prevent her from moving. She couldn't get away. She watched in fearful anticipation as Aizen reached with his free hand for the pistol that had fallen nearby when Orihime had tackled him down.

It was over.

Aizen would certainly not hesitate to shoot her right there. Orihime marveled at how many times she'd come face to face with death today.

'_At least I had long enough to see him again.'_

No tears came to her eyes, and she was surprised to even feel herself relax. It wasn't exactly resignation that she was feeling, it was…contentment. She was content with the life she got to live, the wonderful people she got the chance to meet, and of course, she had gotten to meet Ulquiorra…

She faintly allowed herself to believe that once she was dead, Aizen would have no need to kill Ulquiorra.

Would he remained trapped as Aizen's puppet for the rest of his life then?

She found herself wishing for him to be able to escape somehow. She hoped he would be free and possibly even…happy. A little smile tugged at her lips almost imperceptibly as the thought of _Ulquiorra_ and _happy_ in one sentence manifested itself in her head.

Aizen picked up his gun, and she was ready.

One more moment and…

"FREEZE!"

The voice boomed throughout the store and the people inside did as the voice commanded, whether willingly or just out of shock, she didn't quite know.

"Get off the girl, Aizen. Drop your weapon." The same voice instructed with an obvious air of authority.

Orihime tried to peek over Aizen's shoulder but was only able to catch a glimpse of dark blong hair…

"_Aizen,_" the voice hissed, barely masked hatred seethed into the voice. "Do not test us."

_Us._

There were more. And from the sounds of it…

She didn't want to believe it; but it would seem…

Aizen's grip on her wrists tightened painfully for an instant -at which she couldn't hold back a small whimper- then he released her hold. With a grace and dignity she wouldn't have thought anyone able to pull off, Aizen slowly hoisted himself off of her and stood to his full height.

Orihime lay still for a long moment, not finding it in herself to react. Perhaps the shock of it all was finally catching up with her…

She took the moment to look at the newcomers and the current scene. Aizen stood, smiling that polite, pleasant, completely fake smile as he calmly faced the three people that had just arrived.

The first was the one whom, judging from his posture, presumably had spoken just now. He had chin-length dirty blond hair, and a narrow skinny build. The air he carried himself with though, an odd mix of laidback and dead-serious , made him rather intimidating. He wore a long-sleeved button-up shirt and tie, and from a black cord slung around his neck hung a badge. Orihime faintly recalled seeing a badge like that on the night her brother had been killed; some of the men investigating wore one just like it.

This man was a detective.

"Detective Hirako," Aizen spoke calmly, despite the gun that was being pointed at him. "What a pleasant surprise."

Beside the skinny man whom Aizen addressed as Hirako, a petite blonde in pigtails that didn't look like she should have been out of high school yet, but nevertheless wore a badge very much the same as Hirako's, stepped towards Aizen with her gun raised and a look that said she was itching to use it. Her honey-colored eyes glared hotly at Aizen and she bared her teeth in what could only be described as a growl.

Hirako, holding the gun in one hand, raised his other hand to block the young-looking girl from moving any further. "Easy, Hiyori." he commanded smoothly, not taking his cool gaze off Aizen.

The third person with them was by far the most noticeable physically-wise. He was large -well, large was an understatement, the man was nothing short of _huge_-, he had sun-browned skin and…_pink hair?…_And a matching mustache too… His beady eyes were set deeply in an oval face. Despite his imposing physique, the man had an obviously calm, if not gentle, demeanor around him. However, Orihime could see that if need be, the man was prepared to use force.

It wasn't until she heard Grimmjow's grunts of protest as he struggled against someone's grasp that Orihime noticed the fourth person that had arrived. The man had come in and gripped Grimmjow from behind in an expert choke hold. Grimmjow was a well-built man, he was obviously someone who would not be easily trapped in someone's hold; but as much as the blue-haired man struggle, the hold around him would not budge in the slightest.

The man that had trapped Grimmjow was tanned and obviously built -his muscles obvious even under the leather jacket he wore-, his face was set in a menacing scowl and he had multiple piercing. Despite the fact that he didn't look older than someone in his twenties or thirties, his short-cropped hair was silvery gray.

All for of them looked like they meant business, but Aizen looked as unfazed as ever. "What can I help you gentlemen with?" he asked in his polite tone.

"HEY! I'm a lady damn it!" The pigtail girl Hirako had called Hiyori protested hotly at Aizen's general reference of 'gentlemen'.

"I couldn't tell…" Hirako muttered under his breath.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY SHINJI?" Hiyori turned her full anger towards her comrade.

_SLAP!_

"AGH! How can you complain when people say you're un-ladylike when you go around slapping people with a sandal?" Hirako yelled back at the girl as he rubbed the red mark on his cheek were Hiyori had one moment ago planted her sandal, now safely back on her foot in record time.

"It's part of my charm, dumbass!"

Orihime blinked and sweatdropped from her spot on the floor as the two detectives continued to bicker and shout insults at each other, seemingly forgetting the situation around them.

The large man with faded pink hair stood on his spot and looked at the two with an expression that seemed sort of resigned and slightly disapproving. The silver-haired man rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Hey, lovebirds, _focus." _the silver-haired tough guy glared at them.

Hirako and Hiyori froze mid-argument and looked from their fellow detective then back at Aizen, who wore an amused grin.

"My, my. Things never change, do they?" Aizen commented casually.

Hirako and Hiyori now glared at him again. "If I were you I'd wipe that grin off my face, Aizen." Hirako said coolly. "You're under arrest."

Whereas most people would be shocked, or afraid, or at least nervous about being told they were under arrest while two guns where pointed at them, Aizen…didn't. In fact, he looked as pleasant and calm as ever. He chuckled softly. "Really, detective Hirako? I thought you'd given up on that dream already. You have no reason for arresting me."

Hirako's eyes narrowed further. "Actually, Aizen, it just so happens that we have every reason for doing so." Hirako straightened his posture and kept his gun calmly aimed at the brown-haired man. "Sosuke Aizen," he started in a neutralized tone. "You're being arrested under charges of fraud, illegal trade, and-" he glanced at Orihime, still unmoving on her spot on the floor. "-attempted murder and kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can't afford one, the court will appoint one to you."

Aizen's smile had finally faded away, and his eyes narrowed, but he still showed no signs of surrender. "I do not believe you have the necessary proof to detain me for any of those charges, detective." he said evenly, coolly. But Orihime could see, somewhere in his eyes there was the slightest glint of doubt.

"Actually-" a new voice, but not an unfamiliar one, spoke from behind Hirako. "They do."

Hirako moved aside and revealed the calm form of none other than Kisuke Urahara.

Aizen's eyes narrowed further and he glared icily at the shaggy-haired man. "How-"

Urahara swiftly cut him off. "I was working undercover for the Karakura Police Department the whole time, Aizen. It was difficult to gather any significantly incriminating info on you, I'll give you that. But I knew it would have been impossible to do so without being on the inside. The charade was not easy, and for years I feared my efforts would result to be useless, but alas, here we are."

Aizen looked at Urahara coldly. "You do not even work for the Police Department, you were dispatched over a decade ago." he stated, obviously having been thorough in knowing the man's background.

"Ah, yes, that is correct." Urahara conceded diplomatically. "But, due to certain events, the KPD and I struck a deal. Our mutual cooperation was only temporary of course." he explained.

Aizen only glared between the hat-wearing shop owner and the skinny blond detective. He kept his composure, though. "You could not have enough proof." he stated and looked at Urahara. "I never gave you enough-"

"Perhaps not me," agreed Urahara. "But you did trust someone else with nearly all of your secrets…" he trailed off, looking at Aizen expectantly.

Aizen didn't react for a moment, then his eyes widened in seeming realization. "Impossible."

"Quite the opposite." Hirako refuted casually. "Trust me, we were as shocked as you were when he showed up at my office with a folder containing some very interesting documents concerning you…"

Aizen looked full of disbelief.

Orihime watched in fascination as another person came through the aisle to their already crowded corner.

The fox-faced one and only Gin Ichimaru.

Orihime thought he looked extremely odd for some reason, and it took her a moment to realize it was because the usual smile stretching his lips was missing for once…

"_Gin."_ Aizen hissed, now seeming to understand the position he was in, and finally not looking quite so calm and collected.

When the situation became clear, the atmosphere changed.

Grimmjow started to try and elbow his captor and wriggle free, but in an instant the silver-haired man had a curved knife pressed dangerously against the man. "Don't even think about it." he said low and dangerous.

"It's over, Aizen." Hirako said, reaching one hand to the back of his pants and extracting a pair of metal handcuffs. He started to move towards Aizen with the gun in one hand and the cuffs in the other.

Orihime had been too busy watching and thinking it really was all over, to even think of what was going to happen next.

Without warning, Aizen moved so fast it was almost impossible to see him move. One moment he was standing waiting to be arrested, the next he had knocked the cuffs out of Hirako's hand and had taken the gun.

Hiyori, Urahara, Gin, and even the large man had all drawn their own pistols and aimed them at Aizen. But Aizen was not stupid; he knew he could not win like that.

So the next thing she knew, Orihime was facing into the barrel of the gun pointed at her, frozen in place.

"Stay back or I'll put a bullet through her brain."

Everyone froze for an instant.

Later on, Orihime would try to remember what happened during the next minute only to come up with sluggish memories that she couldn't tell apart from dreams.

She had a vague recollection of Detective Hirako attempting to dissuade Aizen. She remembered the officers lowering their guns hesitantly. She remembered some words were spoken, but she could never remember what they were.

Wary expressions, attempts at negotiation perhaps…Then hostile expressions, and everything was even blurrier to her. Angry words and quick actions.

The gun had been pointed straight at her head were she was still sitting dumbstruck on the floor.

Someone pulled the trigger.

The loud sound resonated through the space of paralyzed people.

The bullet that should have reached her…never came.

Instead, a figure stood shakily before her, an instant before it fell on the floor before her.

Blood.

There was lots of blood. Everywhere; the floor, her clothes, her hands…Ruby liquid spreading sluggishly in all directions.

A pair of emerald eyes with fading light…

Then there was nothing but a black void.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: FINALLY! I thought I would never finish this chapter…I honestly don't know if the update came sooner than usual, I know I DID start writing it sooner than I normally do, but its also the longest its ever taken me to write one chapter. BLEGH! I don't like it, I'm sure most of you didn't either… Don't kill me for ending it in another cliffhanger! I'm actually pretty excited for the next chapter so I won't take forever to update xD I promise next chappie will make up for this one! This was just a necessary chapter…but again, next chapter will be better^^**

**Kudos to everyone who called that Urahara was actually good ;D **

**[*SPOILERS FOR MANGA*-**About Gin betraying Aizen here, if it sounds familiar, well, it was and wasn't a coincidence. I hadn't been sure if Gin would be good or bad in this fic for while, I still hadn't decided when the latest mangas came out and well…They made the choice for me XD**]**

**To my reviewers:**

Morning Bleach

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**THANK YOU GUYS! You make me so happy every time you take a moment to review^^ thank you sooo much!**

**Okay so, this story is almost over (bittersweet moment :S) All that's left now is the next chapter and an epilogue. (counting the epilogue, I will have reached exactly 20 chapters lol!) **

**Oh and, last chapter I mentioned doing something special for the 300****th**** reviewer, but seeing as I don't think I'll get there before the end of the story…I guess that's not happening. But if you guys have any ideas for something cool to do in celebration of the conclusion of **_**What if?, **_**leave a suggestion in your review or PM me : ) **

**So that's all for now! Until next time my dear Ulquihime fans!^^ **


	19. What if

_Darkness._

_I fall into a dark void as I hear you cry out my name._

_I can't see you._

_The darkness envelops me too quickly, to soon._

_I want to see you._

_One last time, I want to see myself reflected in your eyes,_

_The only place I could ever call home._

_I fight the darkness,_

_But it is too heavy._

_I can't breathe._

_I don't feel pain._

_Only emptiness._

_I know I'm going._

_I have no regrets now, _

_Because I met you._

_Even if only for a while._

_Time…_

_Such an ambiguous concept._

_A silly notion to drive humans into thinking they have purpose._

_Time…_

_It brought us together._

_Now it tears us apart._

_Time…_

_It meant nothing before I met you._

_I cannot fight anymore._

_I'm exhausted._

_I realize I'm spent from the years I lived._

_I was tired of living…_

_And now I fight a futile battle to hold on to said life._

_The painful irony would have caused me to laugh bitterly,_

_But I cannot laugh anymore._

_I begin to surrender into the darkness._

_Are you okay?_

_Will you be saddened?_

_Will you…miss…me?_

_Thoughts of you fill my mind as I slip._

_I wonder if this is the moment where my life flashes before my eyes._

_Then why do I only see you?_

_I realize why._

_I only started living,_

_When I met you…_

_Dull black skies and opaque sands provided a bleak scenery for them. _

_Ulquiorra remained upright, his long black wings outstretched behind him in all their glory, if only for a few more seconds. The pale skin of his arms and torso lay bare and seemingly unharmed. To the naked eye, he would appear to be undamaged._

_But Ulquiorra Schiffer was no fool. He knew the damage that resided inside him was beyond even his capabilities to heal. He could feel it coming…The end._

_Gray dust particles soon entered his line of sight, blending into the night. He was vaguely aware that these were the remains of his rapidly disappearing wings. Soon, there would be nothing left of him. Not even a corpse for someone to mourn over._

_Of course, who would mourn him? _

_The round black hole in the center of his chest was but a symbol, an embodiment of his own emptiness. No being existed to fill that hole, that empty space. And reciprocally, he had never entrusted his heart to anyone. There had been no heart to entrust._

_He would fade into ashes and would be forgotten as quickly as they spread throughout the empty dessert._

_The thoughts stirred something within him…a dull ache he had never quite felt before. Oddly enough, it seemed this muffled pain came from the very same hollow space in his chest he'd thought could never be filled…_

_How fitting that at the very end it should be filled with sadness and regret. _

_And then, he met her eyes._

_She stood before him, her long hair and rosy skin contrasting with the colorless background, providing a warmth that didn't belong in that cold world._

_And her eyes, large and clear, locked onto his with no signs of hesitation. Her grey eyes were glistening with emotions so human they were almost palpable._

_Why?_

_Why did she display such emotion? Had she not won? Had her hope not been proved right? She had been rescued by the very man she had placed her faith in, by her nakama she had so blindingly trusted. _

_There was no triumph, no trace of victory in her eyes. _

_Why?_

_He pondered this, but came to no clear answer. Now, thinking back to the time spent with her, he realized it would take him centuries to even begin to comprehend her._

_Instead of centuries, he had mere seconds._

"…_I'm finally starting to find you guys a little interesting." he confessed, looking straight at her with an undisguised lamenting gaze._

Not long enough…

_Feeling an unfamiliar, overwhelming sense of yearning, he almost subconsciously reached out his hand. An action as alien to him as the feelings stirring inside his chest. He did not understand any of it; but it didn't matter then. He was almost out of time._

"…_Are you scared of me, Woman?"_

_She looked taken aback by his question. He waited, hand still outstretched to her, as her eyes suddenly became filled with moisture._

_Her eyebrows scrunched up and her expression was filled with sorrow, the tears in her beautiful eyes threatening to fall._

"_I'm not scared." _

_Her words were simple and carried no doubt. Her sadness was tangible now._

_Suddenly, it all made sense to him._

"_I see." _

_And then she was raising her hand. She reached out her delicate hand, slowly, almost hesitant in her movements. But she was reaching out to him. She was reaching for his own, outstretched hand._

_Ulquiorra realized now, perhaps too late._

_As he reached out -not only with his hand- for the warm human Woman, and she reached back out to him, even as they both knew how futile it would be. _

_This was not a hopeless attempt._

_He understood, even if their hands did not connect…_

'So this is…'

_Their hands, so different, inched closer. The moment was agonizingly, yet beautifully slow. _

_And just like that he felt himself withering away. He only had time to feel the gentle brush of her fingertips for an instant, before his hand turned to the ash that danced away._

'What her outstretched hand embodies is…?'

_His ashes danced away, yet her hand remained outstretched, reaching for his already dissolving form. Her pained face and hopelessly reaching hand were the last thing he had time to see. _

'**Heart**?'

_That was his last, conscious thought. Then he finally faded away, with only lingering thoughts of regret and yearning for just a little more time with her…_

_What if…_

_What if they could have a second chance?_

_-x-x-x-_

_**Ulquiorra POV**_

Wetness.

It was the first thing he was aware of.

A warm liquid almost imperceptibly landed on his cheek, then proceeded to roll down the side of his face, almost like a…

He felt it again, this time landing on his eyelashes. It caused his eyelids to begin to flutter uneasily, like he was trying to wake himself from a particularly deep slumber.

His eyelids felt so heavy, though…He fought to open them, annoyed that he couldn't open his own eyes. He was suddenly all-too-aware of the darkness around him; he wanted to see.

Now he was able to hear things. Irritating beeping sounds that followed a seemingly rhythmic pattern. And he could begin to smell…A sterilized, sharp smell. It reminded him of the alcoholic scent of disinfectant.

It was very unpleasant.

He could start to feel too; he felt something that was halfway between cushioned and hard beneath him, and something light laying on top of him from the chest down. He could feel small, sharp pains in different places along his arms, as well as a worse pain in his abdomen…And he felt something distinctly warm, soft and utterly pleasant on his hand.

He concentrated on that warm softness for a moment. Then he forced himself to fight the heaviness of his eyelids and the sluggishness of his own body.

He managed to make the fingers of one hand twitch slightly.

It was small, but it was progress. His confidence renewed by the accomplishment of this small task, he continued to try to get the feeling and motor capabilities to other parts of his body.

His toes and feet, his hands and fingers again, his nose and lips twitched ever so slightly.

After some more fluttering, his eyelids finally flew open.

The moment his eyes were opened Ulquiorra's vision was assaulted by the intense brightness of the lighting in the room. His pupils constricted immediately and he grimaced deeply as he grunted in protest to the light.

As his eyes finally started to get accustomed to the harsh lighting, he focused on his surroundings.

It took him a moment to recognize the starkly white room with the beeping and blinking machines, but he finally realized where he was; a hospital room.

Then, another sound reached his ears through all the annoying beeping. An altogether, more welcome sound.

Soft, even breathing, as well as delicate -curiously feminine- snores.

His emerald eyes widened and he gaped down at the orange head that lay on the bed right next to where his leg was under the white covers. If the contrasting, warm color of her hair wasn't enough, the tell-tale flower pin decorating it was.

Her face was turned away from him, but he knew all-too-well who that spill of hair and trademark hairpin belonged to. Carefully -trying to ignore the pain it caused in his abdomen- Ulquiorra sat up slightly on his elbow to get a better look at his sleeping visitor.

His face slowly eased into a calm, almost placid, expression as he took in the sight. Subconsciously, he felt the corners of his lips twitching into a small, but very rare, smile. She was sitting in an uncomfortable-looking chair at his bedside, with her upper body leaning forward for her head to rest on the edge of his mattress. He saw one of her arms folded underneath her face -possibly acting as a stand-in pillow-. His eyes followed her other arm, stretched and lightly bent beside her on the edge of the bed, right to her hand, which was affectionately curled around another, paler hand.

He realized what the warm, soft feeling enveloping his left hand was.

Perhaps sensing his scrutiny, the Woman at his bedside began to stir.

He watched as she awakened with uncharacteristic slowness -from the times he'd seen her wake up, it was usually a very exuberant, somewhat comical event-. She lifted her head from the bed with some effort, then slowly started to turn to face his direction.

Ulquiorra's breath inexplicably caught in his throat as he finally saw her face.

He was speechless, completely still and unable to move the moment his eyes landed on her face. It wasn't because of her unusually and dangerously pale complexion, it wasn't because of how tired -how exhausted- she looked, it wasn't because of the dark bags under her eyes; it wasn't because of the lingering, not completely dried up tear streaks tracing her cheeks as if she had been crying herself to sleep. Nor was it because as soon as she looked at him she gasped loudly and fresh tears sprouted uncontrollably from her gray eyes.

It also wasn't because an instant later she left her chair to flung herself at him, wrapped her slender arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder, muttering incomprehensible words. And it wasn't because of how tight she was holding him, or how she unknowingly pressed her rather blessed _assets_ against him as her cries shook her body…

Though any or all of these things could have left him in the state he was in.

But the truth was, Ulquiorra was rendered utterly paralyzed the moment he saw her face for no other reason than that…_seeing her face._

He could never have anticipated such a forceful reaction upon seeing her; never in his life did he suspect he would be rendered breathless by the sight of a woman. Perhaps it was the fact that he had thought he would never see her again. Maybe it was because the only reason he had wanted to live for was for her sake. Or it could because he…

He didn't know why he had such a forceful reaction at her sight.

But after what felt like a lifetime spent in the darkness, it was like a blind man finally opening his eyes to see the sun.

Painfully, breathtakingly beautiful.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was finally able to regain some of his composure and suck in a deep breath.

"W-Woman?" he stuttered uncharacteristically as he sat up straight, due probably to the unusual intensity of his own emotions, or because of Orihime's unusual -at least where he is concern- display of emotion and…err…physical contact.

She reacted to this in the most surprising way he could have imagined; she laughed.

Confused, he looked down at her slightly shaking form. Her laughter came in choked, gargled sounds that were half-sobs. With a slight hiccup, she finally pulled back and sat at the edge of his bed to look at him properly.

Ulquiorra found himself missing her embrace, but was sort of relieved with the space between them; he could allow his body…and certain, specific lower parts of it, to relax now.

He finally had a chance to look at her now. Some color had returned to her cheeks, thought traces of her previous whiteness lingered. The bags under her eyes were still evident, but her eyes, that had seemed so tired the moment she had opened them, had now brightened with a spark that was simply and purely Orihime. Her tearstained cheeks were subtly hollowed, as if she had lost some weight recently. And he could now see her orange locks were tangled and ruffled, obviously not having received a proper brushing in a while.

She never looked more beautiful.

Once her teary laughter died down, she raised one arm to rub away the moisture on her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she apologized softly, her voice slightly hoarse. The traces of a smile were still evident on her drawn features. "I just…" she looked into his eyes and the emotion in her grey orbs was overwhelming. "…You said… you called me Woman."

Ulquiorra looked at her. "And that is…amusing?" he questioned, unsure of where this was going.

Orihime's smile returned to her face and she looked at him with warmth and…some other emotion…What…?

"It's just that I…I thought I'd never hear you call me that again." Her warm and happy expression faltered for just a moment, and a darker emotion flitted through her gray eyes. Then her smile was back and she looked at him with the same happiness. "But you're back…" she whispered.

Ulquiorra was taken aback by her tone and her expression. They carried an emotion with such intensity, such _feeling_…

Before he had time to say anything, Orihime was suddenly wrapping him in her embrace again. This time, however, she was gentle, tender even. She carefully slid one arm around his torso, grabbing a fistful of his clothes -which he now realized was only a flimsy hospital gown-, and the other around his shoulders. She held him close and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Ulquiorra was unresponsive at first, not quite knowing what to do in this showcase of emotion and _affection_, even stiffening at the contact. But then he relaxed in her caring arms, and even hesitantly raised his arms and settled them on her waist as he rested his cheek on her un-brushed hair and closed his eyes.

He may not have wrapped his arms tightly around her and, or spoken any comforting or loving words, but the contact was enough for her at the moment. She understood his intention and accepted his awkwardness when it came to displaying emotion.

"Thank you."

She spoke after some time of them quietly holding and comforting each other with their presence.

Ulquiorra opened his eyes in surprise. "For…what?" he asked, raising his head to look down at her, still comfortably nestled against his neck.

A moment passed before Orihime slowly raised her head and pulled back, with some reluctance, and faced him. She let the hand that was wrapped around his torso to fall to her side against the bed, but instead of doing the same with her other hand, she slid it back and hesitantly touched her fingertips -slightly cold from the air conditioner but still characteristically warm- to his face.

Ulquiorra's hands on her waist pulled back slightly, but remained on their place. His eyes widened slightly and his lips parted as he felt Orihime's caressing fingertips against his skin.

"For surviving." she answered, looking deeply and sincerely into his eyes. "For…" she trailed off as her delicate fingertips moved upwards and reached ever-so-gently brush away a lock of black hair that fell near his eye.

The action coupled with the look in her glassy eyes were enough to make his breath catch and the color rise to his cheeks.

Then she inched closer, just as her grey eyes started to droop.

Ulquiorra watched, unable to move, as she leaned forward, her fingers now moving into his hair -the feel of her caresses enough to drive him insane…in a good way-.

Her eyes were almost closed and her femininely curved, full lips spoke, "For," she continued her earlier words. "…Giving us a chance…"

Her eyes closed completely, and finally, Ulquiorra found himself responding. He started to lean forward as well, his own eyes accordingly closing, his lips parted in anticipation.

They were close enough that he could feel her sweet breath softly fanning his face, his head was tilted slightly to better meet her waiting lips…

"Mr. Schiffer!"

Ulquiorra snapped back and his eyes flew open, his hands dropping away from Orihime immediately. Said girl jumped back about a mile, her cheeks flaming as she exclaimed, "Mr. Urahara!" she hastily straightened the imaginary wrinkles on her long lilac skirt as she gave a very poor attempt of disguising the compromising position she had been caught in.

Her obviously flustered state and flaming cheeks were not helping her performance at all. Neither was the lingering warmth coloring Ulquiorra's own cheeks.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to clear some of the awkwardness. "Who are you?" he demanded in a not-so-perfect imitation of his usual, cold voice as he looked over the blond, hat-wearing man.

"Oh my, sorry to interrupt!" the man, Urahara, said with a devious glint in his eyes and his smile that could not be missed.

"Oh no! We weren't-" Orihime tried to deny with embarrassment.

Ulquiorra cut in, not even bothering to try and save himself from the implications clearly running through the man's head. "What do you want?" he asked curtly.

Urahara, who was still standing at the door, one hand still on the knob, the other holding the fan that he was using to cover his suggestive smile.

"Aw, no need to get man." the blond said with fake offense. "I was just coming in to check on Miss Orihime and see if you'd woken up. Obviously, you have. And you two have some catching up to do, so I'll just be out of your way-" he had already started to disappear to the other side of the door and pull it closed when Ulquiorra's voice made him halt.

"Stop." Ulquiorra commanded, having recovered mostly from the incident and being able to use his stoic, unnerving tone once again.

The man hesitantly poked his blond head back inside with a nervous smile. "…Yes?"

Ulquiorra paused and looked away from both of the room's occupants before asking, "What…happened?"

He waited a moment as the silence filled the room. When nobody spoke, he turned slightly to see Orihime was still sitting on the edge of his bed -albeit, at the very far end now-, but her body was twisted away so he couldn't look at her face, and her head hung low. He looked towards Urahara to see his playful demeanor had been replaced with a serious look.

Ulquiorra kept his stare fixed on the shaggy-haired man. An unspoken understanding passed through them and Urahara gave a small nod.

"Miss Orihime," Urahara started, lightening his demeanor a notch but still not back to his initial self. "Would you mind getting us some snacks from the cafeteria? I'm sure the doctors will be rushing in here any minute, and I think Mr. Schiffer would appreciate some solid food before."

Orihime, still lightly flushed from earlier, looked up at Urahara and then back at Ulquiorra. Her gray orbs were doubtful, her eyebrows slightly scrunched up, as if asking if it was okay. Ulquiorra gave a little curt nod, signaling it was.

"O-Okay." Orihime said, standing up and quickly straightening her light pink sweater as she gave a slight bow to Urahara, who smiled in turn, then gave one more lingering gaze to Ulquiorra. "Be right back." she muttered as she exited the room and shut the door behind her, leaving the two men alone.

"How are you feeling Mister Schiffer?" Urahara asked casually as he walked to take Orihime's vacated chair. Ulquiorra remained still and expressionless, sitting up on his bed.

"You can skip the pleasantries." he told Urahara simply. "I want to know what happened."

Urahara's smile dropped from his face and he looked at him seriously with piercing gray eyes. "It's a rather long story, I don't think you-"

"I'm not going anywhere, am I?" Ulquiorra cut him off. "Tell me everything."

Urahara looked at him and nodded respectfully. "Right. I don't want to bore you with the details but I'll do my best to explain."

Then he did just that.

Urahara started at the beginning, saying how he and Aizen had actually worked together once as federal agents. Urahara had had a very successful career and was considered one of the best in his line of work. His future was looking very promising, he had just been promoted into a very high position and everything was right on track for him and his wife -who had also been working with him-. Not one year after his promotion, Urahara had found leads that pointed to Aizen being guilty of multiple severe crimes, among which where conspiracy, trafficking, kidnappings, assaults and murder. He and his wife had pursued the case in secret and where planning to expose Aizen as soon as they had enough evidence. However, before they could unmask Aizen as a criminal, Urahara's wife was murdered.

Ulquiorra kept his face expressionless as he watched Ulquiorra's previously neutral expression darken significantly at the mention of this particular information. His head was lowered just enough that the shadow of his hat hid his eyes from view , masking whatever intense emotion he must have been feeling, judging by his hands clenching tightly over the fabric of his worn denim pants. It took Urahara a moment to regain his composure and continue this story, though his voice sounded almost imperceptibly colder now. Ulquiorra never said a word and listened to Urahara continue.

Following that, Urahara was charged with the murder of his wife. He was framed by Aizen. After a long and arduous legal battle Urahara received a sentence of ten years -which would have been much longer if not for the lack of evidence-. Urahara spent those ten years plotting. He vowed to take revenge and expose Aizen for what he is, and avenge his late wife. It was a long wait, but finally, Urahara went free. He had been stripped from all his titles as an agent and put out on the street, but he was able to get by running his family's shop, while on the side working to get Aizen.

By the time Urahara had left prison, Aizen had also left his post as a federal agent. He had retreated into the shadows and was nearly impossible to find, but Urahara refused to give up. It wasn't until one dark night, Urahara was contacted by a Detective Shinji Hirako. Urahara had been wary of the man at first, but once Hirako had stated he was after Aizen, Urahara had been a willing listener. Hirako had told him that he and some of his co-workers had been on Aizen's trail for a while, and that they knew his whereabouts and were tracking most of his current dealings. Unfortunately, as it had been Urahara's case, they just couldn't get evidence to lock up the man. The fact that half of the police department was infiltrated by Aizen's men did not help at all. So, together, Urahara and Hirako came up with a plan to gather the evidence they needed.

Urahara joined business with him. It was risky, especially since Aizen already knew him, and if he was caught he was as good as dead. But Urahara was clever enough to make it work. He used his family's shop as a meeting point, knowing the place was, by his own family's eccentric ways, unregistered and completely impossible to trace back to him. Then he posed as a business client for Aizen. Even though he kept the name Urahara, which Aizen obviously recognized, it was fairly easy for him to conceal his identity. Aizen does background checks for all his clients and partners, but Detective Hirako and his team covered that part, and as for Urahara himself, he had his friend Tessai pose as him for the rare meetings he had to have in person with Aizen. Trades and deliveries where rarely done in person, so it wasn't frequently that Tessai needed to be called in.

During his time getting close to Aizen and earning his trust as a loyal and excellent client, (Urahara was among Aizen's favorite clients due to his extensive collection of rare, extremely hard to find items. Urahara denied to go into further details about exactly _how_ he attained all of these.) Urahara began gathering information. Bits and pieces here and there. It took years, but he knew he was finally getting close to destroying Aizen. Just recently, Aizen had taken interest in Urahara's Benihime. As soon as he asked to have it brought over and 'see' it, Urahara knew he was on to him. It was the only object Urahara had kept from the old days that Aizen could recognize. He'd known it was imprudent, but would not part with his most treasured friend. Alas, Urahara knew he had little time before Aizen connected the pistol to him and it was game over.

Urahara and Hirako had gathered plenty of stuff that would work against Aizen, but they still didn't have good enough proof to just rush in and arrest him. They needed something more concrete, and Aizen was damn good at covering his tracks. Just when things seemed lost, Orihime happened. From what Urahara had gathered, Aizen's plan had been to have Orihime deliver Benhime personally to Urahara. Urahara was instructed to kill the girl that day. Then after he killed her, Aizen would see to it that Urahara was caught and charged for Orihime's murder, to be thrown back in prison for good.

That was the point in which Gin Ichimaru came in. Twenty-four hours before Orihime's assassination was supposed to take place, Detective Hirako received a classified, sealed envelope containing all the information needed to link Aizen and charge him for countless offenses and crimes dating back to almost twenty years prior; plus all the details about Aizen's plan to 'kill two birds in one shot' with Orihime's murder.

It was all they needed to get into action and set everything up: they finally had Aizen. Of course, they hadn't counted on Aizen sending Orihime with two escorts. Who also happened to be two of Aizen's _top_ killers, at that. Nor where they counting on a third one of Aizen's men, a large, dark-skinned fellow called Zommari or something, to have snuck in without anyone noticing and knocked Tessai out, leaving Urahara by himself against Stark and Harribel until Hirako and his men could show up. They had been busy setting Aizen up with all his evidence over at the Police Department, before they could come arrest him -because, according to their information the delivery had been supposed to happen later that day, but Aizen moved it up, almost succeeding in ruining Urahara's and their chances.

However, Aizen didn't expect Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra showing up threw Aizen's plans off and bought Urahara and Hirako the time they needed. And thus, Aizen was finally on line for court, hopefully to be given a life-sentence. Soon, the man, along with all of his business partners and clients were going to be behind bars. Gin was testifying and might be given a minor sentence for having committed some crimes while working with Aizen, but seeing as his betrayal was largely to thank for getting Aizen behind bars, he was sure the court would be merciful towards the foxy-faced man. Stark and Harribel would also be receiving some mercy as they also chose to cooperate in giving rather useful testimonies that worked against Aizen. Most of the others: Grimmjow, Nnoitra, Tosen and that Zommari guy would be facing harsh punishments. It seemed the Karakura PD would have their hands full for a while with catching and arresting Aizen's numerous accomplices.

"I see." Ulquiorra said after Urahara's long account. Both men were silent for a moment, somewhat contemplating. It was still hard for Ulquiorra to believe this wasn't all just some odd dream. Aizen in prison? The very thought seemed so farfetched and unreal it alone made Ulquiorra question if maybe he was still unconscious after being shot.

Wait a minute…

"I was…shot…?" Ulquiorra's uncharacteristically wavering tone shaped his statement to sound more like a question.

Urahara raised his head so that the shadow of his hat retreated and Ulquiorra could see a pair of blinking gray eyes again. "Yes, you where." The blond confirmed, then paused for a moment before saying, "That was very heroic, what you did. Who would have thought."

"What are you talking about?" Ulquiorra deadpanned.

"Jumping in front of that bullet for Miss Orihime, of course!" The man was no longer serious and was now gleefully smiling and fanning himself -despite already being in a cold hospital room-. "It was quite romantic! I never would have thought you and Orihime of all people…" he trailed off and poorly concealed a suggestive smile behind his fan.

"What are you insinuating?" Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Oh now, don't be shy!" Urahara waved his fan at him obnoxiously as he spoke. "Don't tell me what I caught you two doing when I walked in here was nothing!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly and then he calmly closed them, adopting an even pose. "I haven't the slightest idea of what you mean."

"Sure, sure," Urahara said, not sounding like he agreed at all. "I'm not sure how Miss Orihime will feel if she hears you denying what you have though-"

"The Woman and I are nothing of the sort. Stop your nonsense."

"Oh really?" Urahara said skeptically. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind telling _her_ that, then?"

"Of course not."

"Then here's your chance." Urahara grinned and motioned with his eyes.

Ulquiorra's eyes snapped open and he followed Urahara's gaze to the orange-haired girl clumsily tumbling into the room while trying to slide in through the nearly-closed door.

He suddenly heard one of the annoying beeping noises increase in speed and was mortified to see it was the machine that monitored his heartbeats.

"Well," Urahara said quickly. "You two have a lot of catching up to do, I'll just be leaving you to it now." He was about to sneak out past Orihime, who was balancing a ridiculous amount of brightly colored vending machine snacks in her arms, plus an oversized bag hanging from her shoulder, when a sound stopped him.

A loud, distinctive, almost nostalgic to Ulquiorra, _Meow!_

All three occupants of the room stilled. Even Orihime's balancing act seemed to have frozen.

"Was that a…?" Urahara started, only to be answered by louder _Meow!,_ along with a suspicious movement from inside Orihime's large black bag.

"Sshh!" The orange-head hastily ordered with a finger to her lips, signaling towards her…bag. "I thought I told you to be quiet Mr. Whiskers!"

And just like that, a black flash of fur was jumping out of her bag and landing gracefully -smugly, in his opinion- on Ulquiorra's bed.

Ulquiorra and Urahara looked at the black feline with raised eyebrows and Orihime laughed nervously. "Gee, how did that get there?" she offered weakly.

"Woman, since when is it customary for you to travel with hairy rodents inside your purse?"

The cat growled resentfully at the description of 'rodent'.

Orihime dropped her innocent façade and placed all the snacks on the once-again vacant chair. "I didn't mean to." she started. "I just went out to the cafeteria and the vending machines to get a couple of snacks-"

'_A _couple_?'_ Ulquiorra thought dubiously as he eyes the gigantic pile of colorful chips and crackers on the chair.

"-and then I thought I heard meowing coming from behind the vending machine. So I checked and Mr. Whiskers jumped out!" she looked at Ulquiorra now. "I tried to tell him to leave because he wasn't allowed in the hospital, but he wouldn't stop insisting so I _had_ to bring him."

"So you snuck him in…inside a _bag_?" he inquired, while he mentally noted that this was why she had taken long enough to come back for Urahara to finish retelling his story.

Orihime nodded affirmative. "He really wanted to see you, Ulquiorra." she explained.

Ulquiorra blinked and then looked down at the pair of golden eyes staring straight at him. The Hairball stood on all fours right in between where his legs were spread out under the blanket. It took a step forward and meowed, reproaching.

Ulquiorra's eyebrows furrowed and he scowled. "Thanks, Hairball." he said reluctantly, though not untruthfully to his surprise. It was after all, thanks to the Hairball that he was able to find Orihime in time.

It looked content with his response and…nodded. The cat nodded. Of course, that shouldn't have surprised him at this point.

Orihime watched in undisguised fascination as Ulquiorra and the feline seemingly held a conversation. Then she smiled widely and clapped her hands together. "Aww!" she squealed. "Ulquiorra and Mr. Whiskers are friends!" she cheered.

Ulquiorra crossed his arms and looked away, annoyed. "Are not." he denied, not even knowing _why_ he was arguing with her childish logic.

Orihime just giggled into her hand happily.

Urahara, who had been watching the cat with interest up to this point, moved closer to Ulquiorra's bed, fingers cupping his own chin as if he were analyzing something. He leaned down to look at the Hairball.

Ulquiorra watched with mild interest to see what the odd man would do now. It was a couple of still, quiet seconds before…

"_Yoruichi!" _the man exclaimed joyously, at the same time picking up the Hairball in his hands and lifting it up and down before him.

Ulquiorra and Orihime watched dumbfounded as the blond played with the black cat, clearly overjoyed.

"Mr. Urahara, you know Mr. Whiskers?" Orihime inquired with an awed expression before Ulquiorra could ask himself.

"Mr. Whiskers?" Urahara repeated confused, pausing from swinging the cat in the air to look at them. "Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, a cheeky smile lighting his face. "You mean her?" he asked, motioning to the cat in his hands. Ulquiorra and Orihime nodded simultaneously. "Actually, her name's Yoruichi. She's mine!" he declared proudly before nestling 'Yoruichi' affectionately against his chest. Ulquiorra couldn't help but notice how the cat responded by purring contently and leaning into the blond man.

"Yoruichi?" Orihime said questioningly, as if tasting the odd name in her mouth.

Urahara smiled as he stroked the black cat lovingly. "Yep, she's named after my late wife! The two share an uncanny resemblance, you know. I always wondered about that…"

He trailed off and Ulquiorra had to wonder…_'He named his cat after his dead wife?'_ Orihime at 'Yoruichi' in wonder. Ulquiorra figured she was thinking something along the same lines he was.

Orihime's eyes widened and she pointed at the cat with her mouth wide open. "You mean, _YORUICHI IS A GIRL?"_

"Of course!" Urahara exclaimed, smiling at the cat, who purred happily again.

"You never checked?" Ulquiorra turned his questioning eyes on Orihime.

She opened her mouth as if to speak then closed it again. "…I forgot."

Ulquiorra would have normally brushed this off as another 'silly Orihime moment', as he had taken to refer to them mentally, but instead…he was filled with the strange sensation of wanting to laugh. He suppressed it quickly, but not well enough to fully conceal the small smile that tugged at his lips.

He found himself gazing at Orihime, with an odd feeling of…warmth.

Orihime, suddenly noticing his eyes on her, looked at him and met his gaze. She quickly looked away while clutching her hands behind her back, and blushed madly. The warm feeling inside him grew at the side of her reddened cheeks.

Was this…normal?

_The Woman and I are nothing of the sort._

That, he realized, was a blatant lie.

"Well, my friends, its been fun. But Yoruichi and I have some business to attend to and some gloating to do in front of my old boss…" Urahara chuckled deviously as he muttered something that sounded like '_Take that, old bat Yamamoto.' _"See you later." Urahara waved as he exited the room, Yoruichi comfortably perched on his shoulder like a parrot.

The room was silent then.

"…How are you feeling?" Orihime asked, a little awkwardly and unable to meet his eyes.

"Fine."

"Oh." she said simply, still averting her gaze. After a few seconds of silence on both parts, she bit her lower lip before asking, "Does it hurt?"

Ulquiorra frowned at her question. "What is it, Woman?" he asked, immediately sensing her uneasiness.

"I just…" she clutched the ends of her soft pink sweater in both hands, turning them into small fists. "I…" he waited as she mumbled. "Why?" she asked finally.

"Why?" he repeated.

"Why did you…do that?" she asked, shyly looking up to look at him.

Ulquiorra knew what she meant immediately. "I would have thought you already knew the answer to that." he answered, surprising both of them.

Orihime now turned her eyes fully on him, she looked at him with those expressive, beautiful gray eyes of hers…

Then she moved closer and took a seat on his bed -now littered with black cat fur-, facing him, only a few inches away. Ulquiorra did his best to keep his breathing steady at her sudden proximity.

"I…" she started, unsure. With slow movements, she placed one of her hands on top of his.

Ulquiorra watched anxiously as she leaned closer.

Her long orange hair was all spilling down one side of her face, and her free hand was lightly placed on the mattress, beside his covered thigh. Her previously pale cheeks were filled with color and heat now, and her gently curved lips that looked soft to the touch were slightly puckered, ready to meet someone else's. A sweet flowery scent that seemed to personify her filled his nostrils. Loud, erratically rapid beeping indicated the sudden increase of his own heartbeat.

He watched, mesmerized, as the lovely woman in front of him leaned forward to close the remaining space between them, his heart thumping and his skin tingling with anticipation…

"_He's awake!"_

The cry that reached his ears was as welcome as the sound of nails against a chalkboard. Ulquiorra cursed at whatever entity there existed as two, young and erratic nurses chose _that _moment to come into the room and run to him, one of them nearly pushing Orihime off the bed to get to him.

Ulquiorra fought the urge to take one of the needles from the nurses' hands and stick it in them repeatedly as they rushed to check all his vitals and status and call in a doctor while complaining that they weren't told of his being awake sooner.

Damn trash.

-x-x-x-x-

_Fifteen Days Later_

_**Orihime POV**_

She hummed a little tune under her breath and swung her handbag gaily as she made her way through the already well-memorized light halls of the hospitals. Several nurses and even some frequent patients and visitors nodded and smiled at her in recognition. She smiled back to all of them, brighter than usual, as she nearly skipped to receptionist.

"Hello Nanao!" she said in her chipper mood to the proper-looking receptionist.

The slender, black-haired woman looked up from the computer screen before her at the sound of Orihime's voice. "Oh." she said, pushing her wire-framed glasses up the bridge of her nose as she took in the smiling young girl wearing a light pink skirt reaching just below her knees and a soft blue sweater. "Right on time, Miss Orihime." she said, her tone still formal despite the familiarity. After two weeks of seeing come in every after noon at exactly four o' clock, still clad in her Karakura High uniform and usually carrying a load of heavy looking books in her arms, the receptionist had grown used to the orange-haired girl and the two were even on a first name basis now. The woman seemed to loosen up a bit whenever Orihime came in. Perhaps her joyous mood was contagious.

Orihime giggled. "Yep."

Nanao looked at her with a quirked eyebrow for a moment. "No books today?"

"Nope." Orihime said, her smile widening. "Tonight we can have our lesson in home sweet home."

Nanao looked at her weirdly for a moment. "You mean…?"

"Yes!" Orihime half-shouted, unable to contain her joy. "They're letting him out today." she said, confirming Nanao's suspicions.

"Oh…Oh!" Nanao exclaimed louder, after checking something on her computer, apparently making sure of what Orihime was saying. "'You're right! That's great, Orihime!" Nanao said sincerely, offering Orihime a rare smile.

"I know!" Orihime beamed. "He can finally get out of that cold hospital room…And he can get back to school in a week!" she announced. "Oh and don't worry, Nanao. I'll still come and visit you every week." Orihime promised, smiling warmly at her new friend.

Nanao smiled and shook her head. "You know you don't have to do that, Orihime."

"But I do!" Orihime quickly disagreed, her face in mock horror at the suggestion. "Who else will bring you my special red bean paste cookie dough?"

Nanao chuckled nervously, skillfully disguising the greenish hue her face took on. "Right, right." she agreed. "Well, you can go see Mr. Schiffer off now. I'm sure he's anxious to see you."

Orihime looked down to try and hide a blush. "Yeah, of course! I'll see you later Nanao!" she waved, nearly running off down the hall that led to Ulquiorra's room.

Nanao smiled and gave a small wave back, shacking her head in amusement as the other girl went off. "Ah, young love." she sighed to herself.

"Beautiful, isn't it? My little Nanao!"

A vein throbbed dangerously on her forehead.

"Dr. Kyoraku shouldn't you be performing surgery?" she scolded the brown-haired man who had just appeared seemingly from nowhere right next to her behind the reception desk.

"But my Little Nanao!" he wailed, trying -and failing- to make a cute pleading puppy face. His unusual pink scrubs not helping at all. "Let's take a little break! You work too much!" he complained.

"And _you _don't work enough!" she countered, hopelessly annoyed like no other man could annoy her.

"Hmm…Maybe you're right…" Kyoraku started. He was…_agreeing_ with her?

Then, without warning, Nanao felt a pair of large, rough masculine hands grasp either of her shoulders, and begin to squeeze and apply pressure.

"Dr. Kyoraku…T-that's very…in-inappropriate, sir." she said, having to bite back a moan as he massaged deeply.

Kyoraku chuckled deep in his throat and Nanao could feel his warm breath against the back of her exposed neck, sending chills down her spine. "One break wouldn't hurt us, Nanao. Just one little break." he cooed in her ear as he massaged. It would have sounded like a small child begging his parents for a cookie before dinner -except for the way his deep voice made her stomach flutter in a very un-childish way-.

"_Pleeeeaaase?" _he coaxed, victory already lacing his voice.

"Mmm…Dr. Kyoraku…" she moaned, her blue eyes closing…

…

"OW! That hurts! What have I done to deserve my precious little Nanao hurting me?" Kyoraku cried dramatically, hunched on the floor as he clutched the swelling bump on his head with both hands.

"There is a time and place for that sort of thing, Dr. Kyoraku." Nanao said stoically with her back turned towards him, her hand still clutching the rolled up heavy magazine she'd used to whack the man's head.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"…Tonight at your place?"

"Eight o' clock. Don't be late."

"Surprise!" Orihime chimed after she quietly slid into the room and snuck up on Ulquiorra, whose back was turned to the door.

Instead of falling over or yelling out in surprise, Ulquiorra calmly turned around and breezed right past her to the other end of the room where two or three traveling bags lay half open with clothes and other objects nearly spilling out.

"It is no 'surprise' when you arrive every day at the same hour, Woman." Ulquiorra said as he grabbed some piece of cloth from one of the bags and began folding it neatly -his back to Orihime-.

Orihime pouted. "Don't you like it when I come?"

Ulquiorra paused in his folding and angled his head ever-so-slightly to look at her from the corner of his eye. Then he went back to taking out clothes and folding them; trying to make it all fit in the overstuffed bag, she presumed. Wordlessly, she walked over and began helping with the folding.

They worked side by side for a few minutes without speaking. As Orihime organized half of Ulquiorra's belongings into a neat pile on the made-up hospital bed, her mind wandered and she thought about the way things were resolved after the whole Aizen incident.

-x-

_-Four days after the incident-_

_Orihime walked into the room, suppressing a little shiver from the cold temperature of the hospital. She hugged her red jacket tighter around herself as she walked the few steps to the chair beside Ulquiorra's bed, which practically had her name sewn in it by that point._

_She sank into the chair and saw that Ulquiorra had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply and evenly. His head was slightly turned over the pillow, so it was facing her. Pieces of inky black hair fell around and between his closed eyes, his mouth was slightly open and he had an overall peaceful expression. Her mouth formed a small smile as she noticed this._

_Orihime was glad she could now watch Ulquiorra in his slumber with a light feeling, instead of that gnawing, gut-wrenching fear of not knowing whether or not he'd wake up. That had been the case only two days ago, when the doctors had managed to stabilize him but where unable to say if he would really be okay. They had said they could do nothing more, and waking up was up to Ulquiorra. Orihime felt the resonance of a heavy pang in her chest as she remembered the man wearing scrubs that had informed her and Urahara that chances were high that Ulquiorra might never open his eyes again…_

_Fighting back the rapidly forming lump in her throat, Orihime breathed in deeply and focused on the man calmly resting before her. His face looked so untroubled…More so than she had ever seen him awake, despite his emotionless mask._

_The past few days were like a blur to her. From getting involved in the Aizen thing, to the trip to the Urahara, to…all that happened during there…Ulquiorra…_

_Everything seemed to have passed by so fast…Orihime's clearest, sharpest memories were the horrible painful terror that she felt for Ulquiorra after he was shot, and during his time unconscious with no guarantee that he would survive; and then the indescribable emotion she felt when she saw him awake. Her heart seemed to swell inside her chest at the mere thought of it._

_Looking down at his quiet, tranquil form, Orihime tried to understand all the different emotions she felt within her. Since she'd met Ulquiorra, she'd experienced strong dislike, curiosity, wariness, fluttering, longing, caring, worry…So many more. She didn't know what they all meant, didn't know how they all evolved so quickly and drastically in only two weeks…But she did know that never in her life had she experienced such intense emotions for anyone._

_And she knew that the feeling she got when she thought he might die…The very idea of it had been worse than dying._

_Half lost in her thoughts, Orihime reached out to touch the face of the man who had only woken two days ago. With her fingers, she gently brushed some of the black locks of hair that fell messily over his eyes, feeling the cool smoothness of his pale skin underneath caress her fingertips._

_As she looked at him, her fingers lingering on his face longer than necessary, one single thought entered her mind. Actually, it was a question._

'Is two weeks enough to…fall in love?'

_Then Ulquiorra's eyelids fluttered, and two emerald orbs were now staring back at her. _

"_Woman."_

_Orihime immediately plastered a smile on her face. "Ulqui-"_

"_Stop that."_

_Orihime blinked, the smile dropping from her face. "…Wha-?"_

"_Your fake smile. It doesn't suit you." he said, his eyes on hers._

_Orihime was dumbfounded for a moment. "It wasn't-"_

"_Don't lie either." he interrupted yet again._

_Orihime started to feel the nearly forgotten annoyance only he could provoke within her at being ordered around. She folded her arms and looked away._

"_I would have thought you'd be happier that I'm awake, Woman. Yet you make it look like it's a bad thing." Ulquiorra said._

_Orihime jumped slightly, startled by his words. "N-no! Of course n-"_

"_Relax. I was joking." Ulquiorra hastened to cut her off. Then his eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. "Why are you acting so strangely?" he asked, and Orihime could have sworn there was concern in his voice. She would have answered but instead what she said was,_

"_Did you just make a…_joke?"

_He raised one eyebrow. "I believe I just said that."_

"_YOU just made a JOKE!" she squealed, standing up and pointing at him, her face a mask of disbelief._

_Ulquiorra turned his eyes away from her and muttered, "That is the last time I do so."_

"_I'm sorry," Orihime said, giggling slightly as she settled back in her seat. "I just never expected you of all people…" she trailed off as Ulquiorra turned to meet her eyes again. His green orbs were infallible, they scrutinized her with a veiled intensity that made her loose her voice._

"_Something is wrong." he stated, surprising Orihime with his ability to read her. "What is bothering you, Woman?"_

_Orihime felt herself getting lost in the depth of his green eyes. What was bothering her?_

I think I fell for you.

"_Have you decided what you're going to do when you leave the hospital?" she asked, shamelessly attempting to change the subject._

_Ulquiorra's frown deepened but he answered none-the-less. "I will be living on my own. Urahara told me of a place he knows, I intend to rent it and move in as soon as I may."_

"_You're not moving in with Urahara?" she inquired, remembering Urahara's offer from the previous day._

_Ulquiorra slightly shook his head. "I have no wish to live with such a man." he said with distaste._

_Orihime frowned. "After everything he did-"_

"_I am aware of his actions and am…grateful." he seemed to have trouble enunciating the last word. "But," he went on. "I prefer to live by myself. I have enough money from my time working for Aizen to sustain myself until I find a job. I see no reason to live off of another man's charity."_

_Orihime thought it over but found nothing wrong with his answer. If anything, she shouldn't have expected any different from Ulquiorra._

"_I have answered your question, Woman." Ulquiorra said. "You have still not answered mine."_

"…_Oh…" she mumbled, disappointed that her plan to take his mind off the topic had not worked._

"_What is it?" _

_Orihime didn't answer for a long time. He didn't speak as he waited for her to say something. It was obvious he wasn't just letting this go._

_Maybe she should just…tell him…_

_A bubble of fear and anxiousness rose up within her. 'What if he doesn't feel the same way?' She pushed the question away. Of course he wouldn't feel the same way. She didn't know if _she_ felt that way. _

_Okay, who was she kidding. These past few days, the time spent sitting at his bedside, waiting, hoping and wishing for him to open his eyes. Wanting nothing more than to gaze into those green orbs…to hear him speak again…_

_She knew the truth._

'It's now or never, Orihime. He deserves to know…'

_Arming herself with a courage she didn't know she had, she opened her mouth and started to speak. "Ulquiorra, I…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I think I might…" she shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "I think I lo-"_

"_Miss Orihime! How nice to see you again!" _

_Both of the room's occupants snapped their heads to look at the person who had just come inside and interrupted their conversation. A young brunette in a nurse's uniform walked in, holding a clipboard. _

"_Hi, Momo." Orihime greeted, feeling a weight over her head at what she had been about to say._

"_Ulquiorra, you seem to be doing well!" the girl chirped happily, addressing the patient casually, to his obvious dismay._

_She and Orihime exchanged a few brief words as the nurse checked and wrote down all of Ulquiorra's vitals. Said man did his best to ignore the perky nurse and did nothing to hide his annoyance and dislike of her._

_A couple of minutes later, the nurse was gone, blabbing something like 'gotta meet Shiro-chan for lunch', leaving Orihime and Ulquiorra alone again._

"_What was it you were about to say, Woman?" Ulquiorra wasted no time getting back on subject._

_Orihime awkwardly diverted her gray eyes, her previous courage having fleeted after Momo's interruption. "Umm…"_

"_Well?" he pushed, not entirely able to suppress the slight note of eagerness in his eyes._

_She took a peek out of the corner of her eyes and saw him, waiting for her answer. "I just…I'm, really glad that you're okay."_

_Ulquiorra looked slightly taken aback by this. "That's all?" he asked, probing her with his eyes. She strategically avoided meeting his scrutinizing eyes._

"_Y-yes…" she lied. _

_Ulquiorra kept his gaze fixed on her, waiting for her to say something else. If he knew she was lying, he didn't call her on it. After what seemed like forever, he nodded slightly._

"_Alright." he said, dropping the subject without insistence._

_Orihime was glad. She proceeded to talk to him about her day and talk about various things. She was sure that only a week ago he would have been put off by her endless chatter, but instead, he just quietly listened to everything she had to say, occasionally commenting on something. She knew none of what she was saying was of relevance to him, but he still let her prattle on without protest._

_He even knew…some might say, content. For Ulquiorra anyway._

_For the following two weeks, these little one-sided chatters would become a large part of their daily routine. Orihime would come by after school everyday religiously, bringing all her books and giving Ulquiorra a summarized version of all their classes. Then they would complete all of their homework, which she would take back to her teachers the next day. They fell into an easy routine like that, leaving the heavier subjects of their disregarded feelings untouched the whole time._

_But nothing could last forever…_

-x-

"Phew." Orihime said, wiping imaginary sweat off her brow as she and Ulquiorra finally finished packing his belongings and actually managing to _close_ the overstuffed bags. "You know, Ulquiorra, for a boy you sure have a lot of clothes."

"I only have a necessary amount of clothing. These bags are too small." Ulquiorra said in a dignified manner that made Orihime chuckle.

"Whatever you say." she chimed.

Ulquiorra glared at her and she resisted the urge to burst out laughing.

Just then the door to the room burst open and a familiar hat-wearing man burst in.

"Well, I see you're all packed up and ready to go Mr. Schiffer!" the blond sang.

Orihime nodded on his behalf and said, "We were just about to carry these down to the main waiting room."

"Ah, I see." Urahara said lightly. "I've brought my car here, so you can just put everything in there."

The shopkeeper was just about to exit the room when he was stopped by Ulquiorra's deadpan voice. "Aren't you going to help with the bags?"

Urahara's nervous laughter was heard. "Oh, well…I thought you two had it well covered."

"So you planned to leave the hard work to a woman and a recovering man?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yeah…well…I have some things to take care of for Aizen's trial tomorrow you know…I'm a very busy man!" with that, the blond man was gone in a burst of wind.

Orihime blinked and Ulquiorra rolled his eyes.

"I guess we should get started…" Orihime said, eyeing the pile of bags on the corner of the room.

She watched to see if Ulquiorra would say anything, but he stayed silent, his eyes focused on the small window on the far end of the room. The thin curtain had been drawn to the side -courtesy of Orihime- and sunlight poured in.

He looked oddly lost in thought.

Deciding to leave him in his moment of introspection, Orihime went to start gathering as many bags as she could carry at once in her arms. She wound up lifting a grand total of all six bags -big and small-, cradling them in a makeshift tower that blocked her vision. She started stumbling blindly towards the door, when she felt herself bump into something.

Peeking from around the dark bags, she saw that it was actually a some_one._

"Oops, sorry!" she apologized, when she suddenly felt the weight on her arms lessen. "Huh?" All of a sudden, she looked to see Ulquiorra had taken half of the load into his own arms.

"Thank you." she smiled at him. "Come on if we hurry up we might have time to stop by this great place I know!" she said excitedly making her way to the door. "They make the best chocolate covered curry-" Before she could go on, she felt a hand on her arm, holding her in place.

She looked back to see Ulquiorra had dropped his bags on top of the hospital bed and was looking at her as he held her in place. "Wait, Woman."

"But-" she was about to protest, complaining that they should really get to this wonderful place she knew, but something about the look in Ulquiorra's eyes stopped her from doing so. Resigning herself, she walked over to drop the bags she had been carrying on the bed and then flopped down on the mattress herself. "What is it?" she asked innocently.

Ulquiorra didn't say anything right away. His gaze remained focused on the window for another moment before finally settling back on her. When it did, it was smoldering with a never-before-seen amount of emotion. It made her breath catch.

"We need to talk." he stated.

Orihime nodded numbly.

Ulquiorra looked at her as if waiting for her to say something. When she didn't, he sighed and went on to say, "Woman, I have some…_matters_ that I wish to discuss with you."

She nodded again, and waited for him to go on.

Ulquiorra walked to the far side of the room, then back, then again. It took her a moment to realize he was pacing. Ulquiorra did _not_ pace. This was when Orihime realized something was off…What exactly did he want to talk about?

Had he found out about the way she felt?

_No! _She immediately silenced that thought. For the past two weeks she had been the perfect actress. She had behaved towards Ulquiorra like any other friend, nothing more, nothing less. She didn't see him as anything more than a friend.

…Except for those times when she looked at him and wanted to close whatever distance there was between them. Or when her hand accidentally brushed against his and she felt like her skin was on fire. Or when she looked into those piercing eyes of his and forgot how to breathe…

_Stop it! He sees you only as his friend, and you're lucky you have that much. _

An image of Ulquiorra jumping in front of her right before Aizen fired his gun flashed through her mind.

_It was only a reflex, don't get any ideas, Orihime…_

But then, her mind started playing other moments like a reel. The times when she clumsily bumped into Ulquiorra, and he would clear his throat and try to hide a reddening of his cheeks. The times when he held her gaze and she could swear she saw the same confusing but profound emotions she felt reflected in his eyes. The times where he had taken something from her hand and his fingers lingered against hers longer than necessary…

Maybe…

No. She has been burying these feelings for two weeks, she wasn't about to ruin that now.

Another image flashed through her mind.

The first time they kissed.

Orihime tried not to think to much about it for the sake of her heart rate, but right now, she couldn't help but remember that he had kissed her _back_…

"Woman, _are you listening to me?"_

Ulquiorra's sharp voice interrupted her whirling thoughts. "Huh?" she asked, with a vacant expression still present on her gaze.

Ulquiorra, for the first time since Orihime had known him, looked truly, genuinely, _frustrated._

Then he gritted her teeth, and said, "Stand up."

Orihime, feeling herself being forcefully pulled from her trance, could do nothing other than obey. The moment she stood up, she found herself face to face with Ulquiorra. She had not expected the sudden closeness…His face was slightly tilted down to look at her, giving her perfect access if she wished to meet his waiting lips… She swallowed to try and stop her thoughts.

"Orihime," he said in a husky voice as rare as his use of her actual name. "I do not like to speak of these things. I do not want to give into these foolish emotions."

Her eyes widened and her heartbeat increased threefold at his mention of the word 'emotions'. Could it be…? The look in his green eyes…

_Breathe Orihime, breathe!_

"I wished to deny the existence of any such feelings inside me. I would have continued to do so for the rest of my life most likely, but then you came in." he looked deep into her eyes, his gaze unwavering. "You…you've made me…_"_ he seemed to be struggling now.

He lifted a hand and almost took it to her cheek, but seemed to stop himself just before making contact. His hand lingered in the air, not daring to come any closer.

Orihime looked deep into his green orbs. She shed her blinding glasses of insecurity and allowed herself to read into his eyes, which spoke louder than any of his unsure words.

What she saw in them was exactly what she felt within her.

Throwing away all caution and shyness, she stood on her tiptoes and tiled back her head slightly as she shut her eyes pressed her full lips against his.

His slender, soft lips molded into hers perfectly.

It was a moment before he responded, but then he did. And he was kissing her back, in a silent understanding that passed between them.

Just as the kiss was about to deepen, Ulquiorra pulled back, though he stayed close enough that his cool breath fanned against her.

"You…" he said, his eyes locked with hers.

Orihime, feeling the rush of emotions in her chest, and the fire that started at her lips were she had met his, and spread through her body, spoke out loud the feelings in her hear.

"Ulquiorra, I think I l-"

Before she could finish the sentence, Ulquiorra silenced her with his lips.

The next thing she knew, one of Ulquiorra's hands was gently closing around her wrist, and without taking his lips off hers, he lightly angled their bodies so that she was suddenly pressed against the far wall. Ulquiorra put his free hand on the wall right next to her face in a makeshift half-cage. His other hand left her wrist and settled on her waist. Using that leverage, he pulled her body towards his, pressing her against him in the middle of the kiss.

Finally feeling herself responding, Orihime felt herself lifting her hanging arms and wrapping them around his neck. She gently played with one of the black strands of hair that hung behind his neck, while she parted her lips to allow him to deepen the kiss.

He did so, cautiously at first, threading. Then his mouth was moving against hers, more forcefully and securely now.

They didn't need any words. Orihime knew now, she knew beyond doubt.

For a fleeting second, her mind left the current kiss and she saw many different scenarios from what looked like different lives. She saw him fading away.

The hand Ulquiorra had had on the wall was now cupping her face, carefully but demanding. It brought her back fully into the kiss, but not before having realized.

This was their chance. They had been given a chance. The moment she had been paired up with him for a project, the moment he had first shown up in her house, when she got involved in his 'father's business…

It had not been a coincidence.

The moment Ulquiorra opened his eyes two weeks ago.

This was it.

This was their chance.

And they were not going to waste it.

Orihime finally broke the kiss to breathe. Instead of pulling back though, she pressed her body against his fully, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist.

She was hugging him.

Ulquiorra was taken aback, but then he responded by putting one hand around her, using the other to gently push her hair behind her ear.

_I'm so glad I met you._

She looked up at him then, with watery eyes.

"Why-" he said startled, a fleeting look of worry passing on his face.

Orihime shook her head and smiled, silencing him. A lone tear escaped down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away.

_I'm so glad you're alive._

Without another word, she straightened up again and reached for his lips, which gladly met hers.

-x-

Nurse Momo Hinamori, Reinstated Agent Kisuke Urahara and his ever-present black companion Yoruichi on his shoulder, Receptionist Nanao Ise and Doctor Shunsui Kyoraku all stood cluttered together at the half-open door.

Momo and Nanao smiled contently, Kyoraku smiled dreamily and Urahara a bit deviously. Yoruichi looked approving.

A few feet away from them, a pair of people stood pressed against the far wall of the room, their surroundings completely forgotten.

When the four people and a cat had all come to see them off with final check-ups or friendly words (or meows) and some no-longer needed advice, they had not expected to walk into the spectacle.

The orange haired girl had put her hands on the black haired young man as the two continued to move their mouths together with no apparent need for air.

The five spectators, rather than interrupting, silently retreated -unnoticed- back outside and closed the door to give the young lovers some privacy.

It was Dr. Kyoraku who spoke, causing his companions to either smile or, in Urahara's case, tip their hat approvingly.

"Ah, young love."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**A/N: The end!…no not yet, there is still an Epilogue left^^**

**Daaaang that was almost 30 pages long…I am exhausted XD**

**So, no one said 'I love you'. This was on purpose because, I don't see Ulquihime as the type of couple to say the three magical words out loud, its implied. Sorry to anyone who was disappointed by that, hehee.**

**I also didn't delve to deeply into what became of Aizen and co, because this is an Ulquihime story and I'm focusing on them. But if u must know, Aizen is set to go on trial (where he will be found guilty and get screwed over) Stark, Harribel and Gin received minor sentences for their cooperation (Gin had been working against Aizen from the beginning but unlike Shinji and Urahara, he was on his own and he did work for Aizen and commit crimes which couldn't be overlooked). Grimmjow and Nnoitra and Tosen were as screwed as Aizen. Urahara was offered his job back but he declined, and decided to work as a detective independently, but side by side with the official Police Departments. Shinji got a promotion. He is currently celebrating with Hiyori (heehee).**

**Thank you:**

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**Your reviews are what finished this story, so thank you so much! :D **

**And just so you know, my birthday is coming up in a few days, do you know what a great present would be?**

**That's right! LOTS OF REVIEWS! (please^^) I even gave you guys an early update and the longest chapter ever…come on pretty please! **

**I'll see u guys next chapter for the Epilogue, and the official end of What if? (aww I feel nostalgic) I hope you've liked this chapter, I worked damn hard on it!**


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Emerald orbs met gray ones in the dim lighting of the room.

Neither person spoke. The tension in the air was nearly palpable. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of the woman's face; the man's eyebrows were pulled downwards in deep thought. Her hands tightened to fists as she watched him move with great deliberateness.

They both knew his next move could define the outcome of their match.

"Check." Ulquiorra said in a cool manner that wasn't fully successful in covering up the sense of triumph in his voice.

Across from him sat a young woman with long orange hair and a look of utter concentration etched upon her face as she frowned down at the board.

Ulquiorra folded his arms over his chest in an almost smug fashion, waiting for Orihime to make her move, feeling victory at his fingertips.

After a long moment of silent calculating and deliberation, Orihime finally reached down and took the tiny silver car between her thumb and forefinger, then moved it two spaces left, and one forward. "UNO!" she exclaimed happily, her expression morphing into one of glee as she threw her arms up in the air and grinned so brightly her eyes squinted shut.

Ulquiorra's arms fell to his sides and his eyes widened incredulously as leaned forward to gape at the board. "Impossible…"

Orihime giggled and held out her hand, palm upwards and open, victoriously. "Pay up, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra glared at the board and reluctantly reached down to his left where his already-deficient pile of colorful fake dollar bills lay. He took it up and counted, letting a defeated sigh escape as he grumpily handed over the whole stack.

"I win!" Orihime announced the obvious as she took the money.

Ulquiorra just looked away as he folded his arms again and scowled. "How is it you always win that silly game?" he muttered loud enough for her to hear.

"Lots of practice!" Orihime laughed freely. "But you're getting better at it, you know. Soon enough you'll be an Unopolyckers master like myself!" she declared proudly.

'_Considering how many people know what Unopolyckers is, that is probably not a very high honor.'_

Despite his inner sarcasm, Ulquiorra had to admit, at least to himself, that he had grown pretty fond of the odd game. Much like he had grown quite attached to its self-proclaimed 'master'. His green eyes suddenly softened as they appraised the beaming girl before him. Seeing her so smiling so brightly made it much harder for him to begrudge her the most recent triumph over him.

Orihime went on talking about how she used to play Unopolyckers against herself, and how she actually lost a few times, but how her strategy was perfected, etc. Ulquiorra listened to her absentmindedly, paying more attention to the sound of her voice than the actual words; he started to stand up from their spot on the carpeted floor of his living room, and quickly picked up his and her used dishes, previously discarded after dinner for a tournament of Unopolyckers. He made his way to the kitchen, which connected with the living room, and washed the dishes as Orihime's voice carried from her spot in the other room.

When he finally came back, Orihime was still talking. "-so, then I thought, what if I changed my strategy? That's when-"

"Woman." Ulquiorra swiftly cut her off. "Enough about games." he said, reaching down his hand towards her nonchalantly offering it. He didn't miss the slight reddening of her cheeks as she gently put her hand over his. It was unusual for Ulquiorra to do such things. He pulled her up gingerly and didn't let go of her hand once she was standing.

Orihime looked at him curiously, wondering why the rare display of chivalry, but not resisting it.

Ulquiorra wordlessly led her to the far end of the living room, where there was a small black table on which there stood a stereo set. With his free hand, Ulquiorra picked up the little remote resting on top of it and pressed a button. Soft music started playing.

Orihime's eyes widen slightly and she looks at Ulquiorra questioningly as he set the remote back and turned his attention to her again.

"I have been wanting to install the system for a while. I did it over the weekend." he explained simply. Then he surprised her by positioning himself directly in front of her and pulling her close, lightly placing one hand on her waist, and slightly raising their held hands. A moment later, he started gently swaying her along on the carpeted floor of his apartment's living room.

He was…

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime exclaimed, surprised, but not breaking their rhythm. "You're dancing!"

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Ulquiorra said flatly, in a rare display of full-on sarcasm.

Orihime's eyebrows pulled together. "But… I didn't know you danced!"

"Not publicly." he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Bu-" Orihime continued to look at him incredulously. "But you're _good!_"

"I do not appreciate your surprised tone."

"I'm sorry, it's just that, I never would have thought-"

"Woman," he interrupted her. "You talk too much." With that, he spun her around artfully and gracefully fell back into step as they continued to dance. For once, Orihime stayed quiet and went along with him, pressing herself a little closer.

They swayed wordlessly for a few minutes. Just as a new song started, Orihime caught sight out of the corner of her eye of a few scattered papers laying on the coffee table that she knew were her and Ulquiorra's unfinished college applications.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, breaking the comfortable silence when she remembered something. "Tatsuki called last night! She told me she is thinking about applying to Hueco Mundo University too! Isn't that great?" Orihime chimed, too happy to notice Ulquiorra's darkening expression for a moment.

"Hn." he muttered only. That's when Orihime came down from her cloud momentarily and noticed his less-than-happy mood. Orihime should have figured Ulquiorra wouldn't be too thrilled that her best friend was considering going to the same college they were planning to attend next year. After all, Tatsuki had been rather…reluctant…to accept Orihime's partner of choice. The two had had a rocky relationship since the beginning, but both had been more or less willing to at least be civilized to each other for Orihime's sake. It seemed that would be the best they could do, but even then, Orihime was grateful.

"Ichigo and Rukia are both going to Seretei University." Orihime then went on, remembering the most popular topic in her friends' group for the last month, when everyone had been busy filling out college applications and such. "Chad, Uryu, Keigo and Mizuiro are all going to Karakura College."

"What about that red-headed one?" Ulquiorra asked, showing some interest in the conversation now.

"Chizuru?" she asked, Ulquiorra nodded once. "I think she's studying abroad. I heard she's going to America." Orihime informed him, wondering at the mildly relieved expression that crossed his face. "Why?"

"No reason." Ulquiorra dismissed it, not bothering to voice the fact that he felt almost-joy at hearing that the perverted lesbian would be going hundreds of miles away from his Woman.

They continued swaying then. Orihime let her thoughts drift here and there for a while -mostly thinking about how quick time had passed and how in less than one year she and her friends would be graduating and going to college. It was kind of sad, knowing that she wouldn't see most of them as often as she'd like, but she had one, oddly comforting thought.

Though it was probably rare for most people to feel 'comforted' by Ulquiorra.

She and Ulquiorra would still see each other as often as they did now.

Both had unanimously decided on HMU. It was about a three hour drive from Karakura, and they would both be residing in the university's dorms. Orihime and Ulquiorra both had excelling grades and qualified to get a scholarship, making the decision pretty easy. Orihime was pretty happy with the arrangements, and she knew, even though he never openly expressed it, so was Ulquiorra.

Almost subconsciously, Orihime tightened her hold on Ulquiorra's hand, at the same time as she slid her other hand from its place on his shoulder to the nape of his neck, where she absentmindedly began to play with one of his longish locks of ink-colored hair. In response, Ulquiorra tightened his hold on her waist and leaned closer, keeping their faces apart by a breath.

For a moment, Orihime let herself wonder at how even after almost two years, the proximity to him still made heat rise to her cheeks and her heart pound like there was no tomorrow. She wondered if that feeling would ever go away, but as she gazed into his emerald eyes and felt her knees go weak, she knew it wouldn't.

And she was glad.

Orihime vaguely realized she and Ulquiorra had stopped dancing, though the music still played in the background, and they were standing still, their gazes locked together. His cool breath fanned over her lips, and suddenly, she was hyper-aware of their interlocked hands and his hand on her waist.

With one final thought of joy at the fact that they had the next four years -hopefully much more after that- to share their company with each other, Orihime gave into the feelings coursing through her chest and she closed the tiny gap between their lips.

Ulquiorra immediately responded, kissing her back with a demanding haste. Normally, Ulquiorra kissed her in a cool, teasingly slow manner that allowed her to taste and feel him to an extent she didn't think possible, but still left her wanting more somehow.

Right now though, the calm, cool and collected Ulquiorra was nowhere to be found. He was being demanding and rough, while somehow maintaining a sweet gentleness as he silently pried her lips apart and forced himself into her mouth. She obliged quickly, feeling her heart race unprepared for this side of him, but more than ready to enjoy it.

Before either of them knew it, Orihime's hands were tangled in his hair, while his own hands explored her from her back to her waist, sending flames to every inch of her body with every touch. Neither took notice of how they moved through the room until they were landing down on the black leather sofa in the middle of the living room; Orihime landing on her back with her head on the armrest, with Ulquiorra carefully holding himself above her, never breaking the kiss for more than a few split seconds for breath.

Orihime felt her hands leave his hair and begin to stroke his arms, shoulders and chest, earning her a few muffled grunts from him, before he separated their mouths, and pressed his hungry mouth over the exposed ivory flesh of her smooth neck. He began planting open-mouthed kisses all along her neck and up to her neckline, and she could notice him struggling to keep calm control over his actions, but was rapidly loosing that battle.

She was no better off. Her breathing was getting harder and harder and she felt herself being driven mad by his slow kisses. In an uncharacteristic display of impatience, she suddenly pulled Ulquiorra up so he was eye-to-eye with her again. He understood quickly and claimed her lips again at once. Orihime returned the kiss deeply and eagerly, wrapping her hands around his neck and pressing herself as close to him as she could, enjoying the warm feeling of his body against hers.

She felt one of Ulquiorra's hands come down to stroke down from her waistline to her hip and her thigh, while his other hand remained placed beside her to support himself. His action made her stomach flutter wildly, and before she knew what she was doing, her hands were diving in underneath Ulquiorra's black shirt and feeling the smooth, lightly toned skin underneath. She felt Ulquiorra shudder under her touch and then he was kissing her even harder than before, his control slipping away.

"_Orihime…_" her name left his lips in a slightly chocked voice.

It was a moment before she realized he had stopped kissing her, and his hand on her hip had become still, stiff. Her eyes fluttered open in confusion and, admittedly, disappointment.

Ulquiorra's green eyes held a large mix of emotions, but before she could figure all of them out, he blinked and cleared his throat. Then he was straightening up, gently removing her hands from their place under his shirt, and finally sitting on the couch, putting some distance between them.

Orihime sat up with an almost hurt look on her pretty face that he pretended didn't make his heart twinge guiltily.

"We should stop now." he said, keeping his eyes on the far wall, unable to look at her deflated expression.

"O-okay." he heard her say uncertainly. "I'll go get a glass of water. Do you-?"

"No."

He didn't turn his eyes away from the wall until after he felt her weight leave the sofa and her steps taking her to the kitchen.

He took a quick peek to make sure she wasn't in the room and then discreetly leaned over to the side of the sofa where Orihime had been on, and quickly pushed down the edge of the thick bundle of pages poking out of the tiny gap between the sofa cushions. A realistic picture of a glinting pair of gold bands that he knew to be rings was just visible under a large advertisement before he smoothly shoved the catalogue back under the cushions; invisible again.

Just in time, Orihime came back, a small glass full of water in her hands. She sat down on the sofa, not too close to him, and set the glass down on the coffee table -careful to avoid any application papers- after taking a gulp.

"I'm sorry." she blurted out, before Ulquiorra had a chance to say anything. He looked at her in confusion. "I got carried away and…" she drifted off as her eyes settled on the fascinating rug under the coffee table.

Ulquiorra frowned. He scooted closer to her and without any hesitation cupped her chin and lifted her face to meet her eyes.

"You did nothing wrong, Woman."

"But-"

He silenced her with a chaste kiss, pulling back after a couple of seconds, but not dropping his hand from her chin.

"There will be time for that." He said securely, skillfully hiding the fact that he dreaded how difficult it would be to wait for said 'time'. "Get back to finishing the application. We should finish them by tonight."

Orihime nodded quickly and excused herself to go find a couple of working pens. Ulquiorra used her momentary absence to retrieve the hidden catalogue beneath the couch cushions and hurriedly went to the small closet in the end of the room; a more secure hideout, in his opinion. But not before he read the bold, black cursive letters printed on the cover.

When Orihime came back, he was dutifully sitting on the sofa with a stack of papers waiting to be filled out on his lap. Orihime flopped down and handed him a black pen, keeping a blue one for herself, quickly telling him how at first she couldn't find any pens but then she remembered that sometime before she remembered seeing him put away a pen in the desk in his room, etcetera, etcetera.

Ulquiorra listened to her while the words printed on the cover of the catalogue replayed over in his mind.

Looking deep into the sweet gray hue of her innocent eyes, he struggled -as he did often since meeting a certain Woman- to keep his smile from widening into a full-on grin.

'_**Engagement Rings for Her!**__'_

Pushing back thoughts of the catalogue, Ulquiorra forced himself to concentrate on his college application which he wanted to finish as soon as possible, so he could focus on more…_engaging_ matters. But not before the orange-haired girl beside him leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek in a light kiss.

Ulquiorra had to fight for control to remain focus on his work, using some comforting words to keep himself from jumping the Woman at his side. He unknowingly used the exact same words she kept silently repeating to herself.

_We have all the time in the world._

.

.

.

.

.

**THE END**

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-xx-x**

A/N: *sniff* There you go folks! My fist story that has actually come to an end!

You guys have NO idea how many times I started to type and deleted this epilogue, even now I wasn't sure if I should keep that, but that was the best I could do XD I hope you guys enjoyed it, I personally enjoyed bringing back Unopolyckers most of all ;D And of course that hot make out scene, I really wanted to get a little bit of focus on their 'physical' relationship there, since you know, with the plot and all, that doesn't usually get all the attention it needs XD

I thought about going more into how each character ended up, and what Ulqui and Hime were going to study, yadda, yadda. But in the end, I figured, I really just want to give these two a moment for 'just the two of them', I think they deserved it after all.^^

Anyways, I really hope you guys are satisfied with 'What if?' and how it ended, I know I feel proud of my baby :')

I'd like to thank everyone who followed this story, whether you did so from the beginning or were a late follower, thank you so much for giving my story some love=D

Thanks to all those **107** people who had the story on 'Story Alert', and million thanks to those **113** who Favorited. You make me so Happy YAY!^^

And of course, THANK YOU to all my beautiful/awesome/lovely Reviewers:

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THANK YOU! I can't believe I actually cracked the 300 review mark!*throws confetti*

Thank you guys for reviewing and letting me now what you think about my story, you guys really kept me going the whole time! And a special thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday!^^ I am now a happy 18 year old!:D

Btw, I'd like to say that I started college about a month ago, and I'm majoring in Creative Writing. Just felt like I'd let you know, cause any book I write, will definitely be in honor of my very first readers^^

So…I guess this is goodbye for now…I already have a new multi-chapter story planned, but it'll feature IchiRuki as the main pairing. Hopefully though, I'll still have a break to write oneshots for UlquiHime, and get to work on some other ideas I have for this awesome pairing :D

Anyways, I better stop delaying this XD THANK YOU guys for everything! This fic is dedicated to all of you!^^ Til next time!


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